He’s been dead fro over 3,300 years and yet his image is still instantly recognizable. The Egyptian boy king Tutankhamen, ruled from 1333 BC to 1324 BC until his death at the age of only 18. This early demise meant for years historians wonder about that had been murdered? But a CT scan in 2005 suggested the most likely cause was gangrene, following a badly broken leg.
It’s a good reason to belief he was not a significant or particularly member of the world. But since the discovery of his tomb, he is become perhaps the most famous of all ancient Egyptians figures. The reason for this is simple when British Egyptologist Howard Carter with his team entered the tomb in November 1922 they found to be almost completely intact. One of the richest and best preserved sites ever uncovered in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.
And all likelihood this was a direct result of Tutankhamen’s fall for prominence. Sealed up and forgotten the tomb had even suffered the indignity of having some workers cottages constructed over his entrance. The excavation of his site was long and painstaking. It was 8 years until the last objects were removed from the tomb.
Even today there are remain rumors of a cured attached to the site. The people taking them a – delight in tales of early deaths suffered by those who entered the tomb. Researchers indicated though that there is no statistical difference in dates of death between those in the original party who entered and those who did not indeed. Most involved saw their 78th birthday but why let truth get in the way of a good story?
The history of the boy with a golden mask and the stunning artifacts found around him in death, have now fascinated the world for nearly a century. The block buster touring exhibition shows a Tutankhamen which began at the British Museum in 1972. Capitalized on that interest and was enormous success.
It is since been followed by more recent exhibitions like 2005’s Tutankhamen and the golden age of the Pharaohs. When this particular finishes in Egypt in 2008 it is expected that 3 million people would have seen it.
Perhaps that’s why he still smiling, he is enjoying the irony.
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