15 Interesting King Tut Facts You Never Knew

Facts Chief

21 Mar 2015

Quick Facts

  1. Tomb: Valley of the Kings
  2. Reign: 1333 BC TO 1324 BC
  3. Wife: Ankhesenpaaten
  4. Children: 2 daughters
  5. Death: Age 18
  6. Father: Akhenaten
  7. Mother: Nefertiti
  8. Born: 1343 BC
  9. Birthplace: Amarna
  10. Height: 5′ 8″

King Tut Changed His Name

King Tut facts reveal that Tut is a nickname for a much longer name. His name was Tutankhaten, which roughly translates as “living image of Aten”. His father, Akhenaten, wanted people to worship the Sun God Aten instead of the Old God Amun. When King Tut came to power, he reversed this and reopened closed temples. He changed his name to Tutankhamun, which translates as “living image of Amun”.

King Tut’s Mom Was Also His Sister

Inbreeding was prevalent among the Pharaohs of Egypt, as they wanted to maintain their pure bloodline. It is speculated that King Tut’s father may have impregnated his daughter or step-daughter, who then gave birth to King Tut. Therefore, his mother was also his sister.

King Tut Came to Power as a Child

Tutankhamun is also referred to as the Boy King, and for good reason. King Tut facts show that he was just nine years old when he ascended to the throne. Since Tutankhamun ascended the throne when he was only a child, he could not rule Egypt all by himself. He had a powerful general named Horemheb as his chief adviser. He also had his vizier, Ay, to help him rule. It was Ay who eventually succeeded Tutankhamun after his death.

King Tut Was Extremely Wealthy

King Tut facts show that he was very wealthy, and perhaps far richer than you can imagine. While we have little information about his wealth when he was alive, the treasures found in his tomb indicated that King Tut was fabulously rich. His gold mask, which was placed over his head after being mummified, weighed 20 pounds. Apart from that, the team of Howard Carter, who discovered his tomb, found around over 3,500 articles and it took them nearly 10 years to catalog everything they found inside the tomb.

Howard Carter Discovered the Tomb

On November 4 1922 Howard Carter discovered steps leading to King Tut’s tomb. When Carter discovered the coffin of King Tut, he was astonished at the strength of the resin that held the coffin together. He applied a lot of force but was unsuccessful in opening the coffin. He even placed the coffin under the blazing sun in the hope that it would melt the resin. Finally, he decided to chisel off the resin. In doing so, he damaged the coffin and also some parts of the mummy.

King Tut’s Tomb Is Connected to the Stars

The tomb in which Tutankhamun was buried was constructed in such a fashion that the constellation Orion was directly above the entrance to the tomb. Egyptians believed Orion to be the soul of Osiris, the God of Afterlife. It is said that the God of Afterlife continues to watch over King Tut, according to King Tut facts.

King Tut Was Only 18 When He Died

There have been plenty of theories surrounding the demise of King Tut. From murder to sickle cell anemia, a plethora of reasons have been suggested for his untimely demise. However, recent CAT scans on the mummy suggest that his death was caused a broken leg. His broken leg may have gotten infected and led to his death. The fact that he had around 130 walking sticks buried with him in his tomb lends support to this theory.

King Tut Did Not Have His Own Pyramid

Due to the sudden death of Tutankhamun, there was no time to build a pyramid for him as he had to be buried within 70 days (the custom during those days). King Tut facts show that he was hastily mummified and buried in a tomb which was smaller than was the norm for a king, and was most likely built for a noble. Nonetheless, he was given a proper burial by the priests.

King Tut May Have Been Murdered

If King Tut was murdered, the list of suspects include his wife, his military commander, and his vizier. It could also have been an enemy soldier. CAT scans do show an injury to the back of the head, but it does not appear to have been a life threatening injury.

King Tut Was the Last Ruler of His Dynasty

King Tut did have a wife – he wed his half-sister, Ankhesenpaaten. However, they did not have any living children. This is because both their daughters were stillborn, possibly as a result of inbreeding. The bodies of the babies were mummified and placed in coffins that were found in King Tut’s tomb.

King Tut’s Necklace Raises Intriguing Questions

King Tut’s necklace has an amulet at its center. Initially, the necklace confused archaeologists as they were unsure what material the amulet was made of. It was a natural glass from the Great Sand Sea in Egypt. Scientists later noted that the glass was formed by the impact of a meteor with the sand. This gives rise to another question: on the necklace, there is a depiction of the sun traveling in the sky. Did the Egyptians know of the origin of the glass?

King Tut Was an Average King

During his reign, King Tut did not have a particularly great impact on his people. He was a minor King considering the achievements of his predecessors. However, the discovery of his tomb, followed by the discovery of his great riches, has made him very well-known in the modern world.

King Tut’s Tomb was Believed to be Cursed

When Carter entered the tomb, he noticed an inscription at the entrance which read, “Those who disturb the eternal sleep of the mummy shall face its wrath”. Shortly after the discovery of the tomb, many people associated with the expedition died. This led to widespread speculation that the curse was indeed true.

The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb Has Since Been Debunked

Despite all the hype surrounding the curse, scientists later noted that those people who had died were actually old or were unhealthy. Many people involved in the expedition who survived lived to a ripe old age and lead a healthy life. So, we can safely conclude that there was no curse of the pharaoh.

King Tut’s Sandals Had Drawings

King Tut’s sandals were found with him inside his tomb. They featured drawings on the soles of his enemies. The placement of these drawings symbolizes King Tut trampling over his enemies.

King Tut Facts – Facts about King Tut Summary

King Tut facts tell us about the life of an Egyptian pharaoh, and how his life ended quite early. They explain how he came to rule at such a young age, and how he has become one of the best-known rulers in history. The facts also tell us about the mystery of his early demise, and how his tomb sometimes left us with more questions than answers.

View Comment

Leave a comment
