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One of the most famous leaders of a great ancient civilization came into power at the tender age of nine. King Tut was pharaoh of ancient Egypt from age nine until his death at the age of 18 or 19 in 1352 BC. The discovery of his tomb has made him one of the most popular figures of ancient Egypt.
King Tut was the son-in-law of Akenhaten. Due to his youth, King Tut did not have the power of some Pharaohs. Many decisions were left in the hands of his advisors and especially Ay. King Tut's vizier, Ay, restored polytheism in ancient Egypt. As a result, King Tut changed his name from Tutankhaten ("image of Aten") to Tutankhamen ("image of Amen"). Tut died at the age of 18 or 19 for reasons unknown. Ay married King Tut's widow and made use of Tut's tomb for himself.
On November 4 1922, the ancient world and the modern world met when Howard Carter, an English archaeologist, discovered his tomb. The tomb was located in the Valley of the Kings hidden under a house that had been erected for workers involved with the tomb of Ramesses IV. The rooms of the tomb seemed to be hastily put together, as the death of the young pharaoh was probably unexpected. The contents of the tomb, however, were breathtaking. The extravagant contents were in near-perfect condition as the tomb had remained untouched for so long. Unlike most tombs, which had long since been looted, some even totally emptied of their treasures, King Tut's tomb was marvelously intact.
The boy-king's mummy was contained within 3 elaborate coffins and a sarcophagus. The sarcophagus was an immense yellow quartzite tribute to the young pharaoh and required the efforts of several men to move. The next two "layers" of coffin were made of beautifully carved wood with colorful blue and red glass inlays. The final coffin, and perhaps the most startling to observers, was made of solid gold. The famous mask which was at the head of the coffin is now considered to be the greatest Egyptian work of art in history.
The discovery of an untouched tomb was a rarity and a blessing for the field of Egyptology. The boy-king, as a result of this discovery, is one of the most influential figures in our view of ancient Egypt.
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