Tutankhamun
Possibly son of Akhenaten and Kiya, Tutankhamun was King of the 18th Dynasty about 1333-1323 BC. He came to the throne as a boy aged 8, and ruled ten years, he married his sister Ankhesenamun.
It is not known what caused his death at around 16 or 17 years of age. DNA tests suggest a blow to his leg which became infected. It has also been suggested that his guardian Ay murdered him.
Tutankhamun has been the most famous Pharaoh in modern times since the discovery of his almost intact tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter, the Englishman who travelled to Egypt to work as a painter and soon became an archaeologist, being fascinated by Ancient Egypt and determined to make an important discovery.
For ancient Egyptian history Tutankhamun's reign is important for the reinstallation of the Egyptian gods after the Amarna period.
In the Amarna period, Akhenaten and Nefertiti break with the traditional religion in favour of the sole worship of the Aten (light). During their reign, distinctive art is created and the literature begins to reflect a version of the language nearer to everyday speech. Tutankhamun restores worship of traditional gods, but he leaves no royal heir. Haremhab becomes the last king of the dynasty, completes the return to traditional religion and art and names as his successor Ramesses I, first ruler of Dynasty 19.
He was buried in the Valley of the Kings - tomb 62.
The ancient Egyptians believed in burying their dead with certain objects and provisions so that the person who died would have what they needed to keep them safe and comfortable in the after life. Therefore, objects which were buried with a person were chosen carefully.
Some objects like amulets had abstract powers of protection, while others, like canopic jars had a specific practical, as well as spiritual, purpose.
The artefacts from his tomb are at present housed at The Egyptian Museum at Cairo.
It took a decade to catalogue, remove and conserve the thousands of items in the small tomb.
The gold mask found covering the head and shoulders of Tutankhamun's mummy, was made of solid gold, inlaid with semi-precious stones and coloured glass paste, the face is an idealised portrait of the young king. Two protective animals, the cobra and vulture, are shown on the brow, and the king wears the Nemes head-dress, the false beard of the gods and a broad inlaid collar.
Here are some links to further resources about Tutankhamun
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