13 of the weirdest facts about King Tutankhamun

King Tutankhamun, commonly known as King Tut, ascended to the throne of Egypt at the astonishingly young age of 9.

However, due to his youth and inexperience, he was guided by powerful advisors.

The most notable of these was the Grand Vizier Ay and the General of the Armies Horemheb.

Despite his tender years, King Tut was thrust into a role that required him to govern a complex and sprawling empire.

His reign was short-lived but was filled by a series of significant events. The most important of which was the religious restoration following his father's revolutionary change to monotheism.

It is this image of a child king, ruling over one of history's most magnificent civilizations, that has captivated historians and the public alike.

The exact nature of King Tutankhamun's death remains one of the most intriguing mysteries of ancient Egypt.

As far as we can tell, he died around the age of 18 or 19. However, the exact cause of his sudden demise has been the subject of much speculation among historians and archaeologists.

The earliest examinations of his mummy suggested a blow to the head, which obviously led to theories of murder.

Then, later studies, including modern CT scans and DNA analysis, have pointed to possibilities such as a chariot accident or a combination of malaria and a degenerative bone condition.

Unfortunately, none of these proposals seem to offer a conclusive cause of death.

The fact that King Tut's tomb seemed to be prepared in haste, with its smaller size and some unfinished decorations, only adds to the enigma.

As such, some scholars believe that his unexpected death led to a rushed burial process.

The mystery is further deepened by the lack of contemporary records detailing his passing. 

This void in information has been filled with conspiracy theories, wild hypotheses, and even outright fictional accounts.

One of the strangest revelations from various DNA and medical examinations of the Tutankhamun mummy is that he was a child of a complex and somewhat unsettling aspect of royal life in ancient Egypt: inbreeding.

Genetic studies conducted on King Tut's mummy have shown that his parents were most likely brother and sister.

As uncomfortable as it is to modern readers, the practice of royal incest was not uncommon in ancient Egypt.

It was believed to preserve the sacred bloodline and divine nature of the pharaohs.

Unfortunately, due to the results of several generations of inbreeding, the young King Tutankhamun suffered from a number of physical ailments.

The modern examinations of his mummy have uncovered evidence of a clubfoot, a condition that would have required him to use a cane to walk.

In support of this finding, over 130 walking sticks were discovered in his tomb.

Some of them were ornately decorated, which reflected both their practical use and symbolic status.

Additionally, genetic studies have pointed to a possible case of Kohler disease: a rare and painful disorder affecting the bones in his foot.

This may be the direct cause of the clubfoot. Nevertheless, despite these challenges, King Tut was often depicted in art and sculptures as a strong and vibrant ruler.

However, the contrast between the idealized image and the reality of his physical condition adds a layer of complexity to our understanding of this young king.

The tomb of King Tutankhamun is renowned for its magnificent treasures; but it has also raised questions about the haste with which the young pharaoh was buried.

Unlike the grand and elaborately planned tombs of other pharaohs, King Tut's final resting place appears to have been prepared in a hurry.

Its relatively small size, along with some unfinished and reused artifacts, suggests that his death may have been sudden and unexpected.

Some Egyptologists theorize that the tomb was originally intended for someone else and may have been repurposed for the young king following his untimely demise.

The rushed burial process might also explain why some of the items in the tomb seem out of place or are not customized for King Tut.

This sense of urgency contrasts sharply with the traditional, meticulous preparations that usually accompanied the burial of a pharaoh, a process that could take many years. 

King Tutankhamun's golden coffin is one of the most exquisite and awe-inspiring artifacts of ancient Egypt.

It was crafted from 110 kilograms of pure gold. The coffin shows a dazzling image of the young pharaoh, which probably aimed to capture his likeness with remarkable detail.

Gold was a material associated with the gods and eternity in ancient Egyptian belief.

The coffin was actually one of three nested within each other, with the innermost being the golden one, providing layers of protection for the mummified king.

When Howard Carter first discovered it in 1922, the sight of the golden coffin left him and his team spellbound.

It continues to mesmerize visitors and scholars alike.

The discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter sent shockwaves of excitement throughout the world, but it was soon overshadowed by whispers of a deadly curse.

Legends spoke of dire consequences for those who dared to disturb the resting place of a pharaoh.

Almost as a confirmation of this, members of the excavation team and those associated with the discovery began to die under mysterious or unusual circumstances.

So, the 'Curse of the Pharaoh' captured global imagination. The most notable of these deaths was that of Lord Carnarvon, the expedition's financial backer, who succumbed to an infected mosquito bite shortly after the tomb's opening.

Newspapers and storytellers were quick to link his and other deaths to the curse.

While many of the claims have been debunked and can be attributed to natural causes or mere coincidence, the legend persists.

One of the most poignant discoveries within King Tutankhamun's tomb was the presence of two small coffins containing the mummified remains of infants who were either stillborn or died shortly after birth.

Genetic testing and subsequent analysis have identified these infants as the daughters of King Tut.

The presence of these tiny mummies, nestled close to their father in his eternal resting place, underscores the importance of family within the royal lineage and the hope for rebirth and reunion in the afterlife.

The causes of their premature deaths remain uncertain, though some speculate that genetic complications, possibly due to the royal family's practice of intermarriage, might have played a role.

Among the many treasures unearthed from King Tutankhamun's tomb, his golden funerary mask stands as the most iconic.

However, in a twist of modern mishap, the mask's blue-and-gold braided beard was accidentally broken off during a cleaning procedure at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The incident, which occurred in 2014, led to a hasty and ill-advised attempt to reattach the beard using epoxy glue.

Unfortunately, it caused further damage to this priceless artifact. The botched repair became a global controversy.  

Fortunately, a team of German and Egyptian restoration experts later undertook a meticulous restoration process.

They successfully reattached the beard, ensuring the mask's integrity for future generations.

The discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 was a monumental moment in archaeological history, but the mysteries of the tomb did not end with its initial unveiling.

In recent years, advanced radar scans and technological investigations have hinted at the possibility of hidden chambers within the tomb's walls.

These chambers, if they exist, could hold clues to further treasures or even the resting place of other royal figures, such as the elusive Queen Nefertiti.

The speculation has reignited global interest and debate among Egyptologists and enthusiasts alike.

While some experts believe that these chambers could be mere architectural anomalies or voids, others are hopeful about uncovering new secrets of the 18th dynasty.

Among the myriad of treasures unearthed from King Tutankhamun's tomb, one artifact resonates quite literally with the sounds of ancient Egypt: a rare trumpet, one of the oldest playable musical instruments in the world.

Crafted from silver and gold, this trumpet has been hailed not just for its exquisite craftsmanship, but also for the hauntingly beautiful sound it produces.

When played in 1939 during a radio broadcast, its melancholic tones were said to have stirred the souls of listeners, connecting them to a civilization long past.

Indeed, this broadcast eerily preceded the outbreak of World War II, which added to the instrument's lore.

It offers a rare auditory bridge to the past, allowing us to hear and feel a piece of the world that King Tut once inhabited.

The Valley of the Kings is a sprawling necropolis on the west bank of the Nile and is the final resting place for many of Egypt's most illustrious pharaohs.

Yet, the location of King Tutankhamun's tomb within this valley is particularly intriguing.

Hidden away in a remote corner and situated beneath the entrance to another tomb, that of Ramses VI, King Tut's burial site remained undisturbed and overlooked for millennia.

This unique placement, combined with the tomb's relatively modest size, likely contributed to its evasion of grave robbers and its preservation until its discovery by Howard Carter.

Some scholars speculate that the tomb's discreet location was a deliberate choice, perhaps due to the young king's unexpected death and the subsequent rush to find a suitable burial site.

Others believe it was a protective measure, shielding the tomb from potential desecration.

Regardless of the reasons, the tomb's location became its greatest defense against time and intrusion.

The most interesting of all the treasures of King Tutankhamun's tomb, is one with cosmic connections: a dagger made from meteoritic iron.

This beautifully crafted weapon, with a blade of shimmering metal and a gold handle adorned with intricate detailing, is believed to have been forged from a meteorite that fell to Earth.

Modern analysis of the blade's composition confirmed the presence of nickel and cobalt, elements commonly found in meteorites.

In ancient Egypt, meteorites were seen as gifts from the gods, and their iron, often referred to as "iron from the sky", was considered more precious than gold.

The meteorite dagger highlights the deep spiritual and cosmological significance they placed on objects from the heavens.

In the hands of a young pharaoh, this dagger served as both a tool of protection and a symbol of his divine right to rule, bridging the realms of Earth and the cosmos.