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Tutankamun’s
Life
Tutankhamun, or better known as King Tut, was a pharaoh who
accomplished little in his life. He did not expand Egypt’s
borders nor enjoy triumphant victories like the many
pharaohs before him; however, he is the most recognized and
probably the most famous pharaoh today. But why is he so
famous? This answer can be attributed to the discovery of
his tomb and his elaborate treasure.
King Tut’s tomb was a major discovery of the 19th
century. It was discovered November 4, 1922 in the Valley of
the Kings by Howard Carter. It was a phenomenal discovery
that made headlines across the world. Up until the discovery
of King Tut’s tomb, it was believed that all royal tombs had
been robbed and drained of their treasure.
For the first time, a tomb, which was almost
intact, had been discovered and remained hidden from robbers
for thousands of years. The tomb revealed an elaborate
lifestyle that many people could only dream about as well as
providing clues and insight into King Tut’s life and how he
lived.
Even though little is known about Tutankhamen’s
life, we do know that he was given the throne at a young
age. It has been estimated that he was about eight or nine
years old when this throne exchange took place. During the
time that this occurred, Egypt was in turmoil due to his
father’s religious movement. His father, which is believed
to be Akhenaten, had changed the religious system and the
old beliefs that had been practiced for hundreds of years
before him. This religious change angered many angry
citizens and priests. Tutankamen was left with an angry and
chaotic Egypt to rule.
The birth name of Tutankhamen was Tutankhaton,
which meant “Living Image of the Aten.” His father, which
remains a mystery, is believed to be Akhenaten, although
some evidence points to Amenhotp III. His mother remains a
mystery as well but she is believed to be Kiya.
It is thought that Tutankhaton must have had a
good childhood. He probably spent his younger years hunting,
swimming, and studying. His tomb revealed he enjoyed board
games. Like most children, he probably found politics
unexciting and went about his environment enjoying leisurely
activities. Because he was a child, he probably had an
ignorant view about his father’s teachings and politics. He
was also believed to be an ill child due to the many walking
canes that were found inside his tomb.
After his father’s death, Tutankaton was given the
throne. He was wed to his half-sister Ankhensenpaaton, the
daughter of Nefertiti and Akhenaten. After acquiring the
throne he began to uphold his father’s beliefs, which was
the worship of one god -- the Aton. A few years later
Tutankaton started to bring back gods that were forbidden by
Akhenaten. He soon changed his name to Tutankhamen along
with changing his wife’s name to Ankhesenamun. Their names
were changed to reflect their beliefs towards Amun (eighth
Heh god of the Ogdoad) and probably to ease the angry
priests who missed their old Egypt. They soon decided to
leave their father’s capital Amarna and relocated to a new
capital in Memphis and Thebes. This movement was probably
suggested by Ay (a high ranking official and advisor) to
show the Egyptians and priests that things were
slowly returning to the original ways.
With the ancient beliefs restored and the movement
of the new capital, King Tutankhamen threw lavish parties to
show his support for Amun. Tuankhamen was only a child while
the old gods were being reinstated, but could a child make
decisions of this magnitude at such a young age?
It doesn’t appear so, and it appears that his
adviser Ay most likely made major decisions for him. Ay and
Hermhab were probably the sole drive behind the throne.
Could this be why old gods were reinstated and King Tut
changed his name? It could have been a great possibility due
to the records left behind, which showed Egypt was in a poor
state after Akhenaten.
Sometime during his tenth year of reigning, Egypt
was at war with the Hittites. During this confrontation
Tutankhamen suddenly died. How he died remains a mystery;
however, it’s believed he was murdered. King Tut had not
left a male heir to the throne and the children that he had
were stillborn. King Tut died at around eighteen or
nineteen years old. Ay, who was a high official in
Akhenaten’s court, staked his claim as pharaoh. Ay went on
to rule for only 4 years and died shortly after acquiring
the throne. |
