Tutankhamun

📷 Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 3.0 — en:User:MykReeve — 2002

1340 av. J.-C. — 1323 av. J.-C.

Nouvel Empire

PoliticsSpiritualityCultureBefore ChristAncient Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, around 1332–1323 BCE

An Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, he reigned around 1332–1323 BCE. Ascending to the throne at approximately nine years old, he restored polytheistic worship after the Atenist revolution of Akhenaten. His tomb, discovered intact in 1922, is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

Key Facts

Around 1332 BCE: ascends to the throne at approximately 9 years old under the name Tutankhaten
Around 1331 BCE: abandons Tell el-Amarna and restores the cult of Amun, changing his name to Tutankhamun
Around 1323 BCE: dies at approximately 18–19 years old under circumstances still debated today
1922: Howard Carter discovers his tomb (KV62) intact in the Valley of the Kings
1925: opening of the sarcophagus, revealing the famous solid gold funerary mask

Works & Achievements

Restoration Decree (Karnak Stele) (c. 1331–1330 BCE)

The founding act of his reign, this decree officially reinstated polytheistic worship, ordered the restoration of temples, and symbolically erased the Atenist legacy of Akhenaten.

Restoration of the Karnak Temple (c. 1330–1323 BCE)

Tutankhamun had several columns and statues erected at Karnak, including a large colonnade bearing the image of Amun. These works symbolize the return to traditional religious orthodoxy.

Development of the Luxor Temple (c. 1330–1323 BCE)

Reliefs and statues commissioned by Tutankhamun still adorn the Luxor Temple today, although his successor Horemheb had his own name carved over them.

Royal Tomb KV62 (Valley of the Kings) (c. 1323 BCE)

Though modest compared to the tombs of the great pharaohs, Tutankhamun's burial is the best-preserved ever discovered, containing more than 5,000 intact funerary objects.

Anecdotes

Tutankhamun ascended to the throne at around nine years old, making him one of the youngest pharaohs in Egyptian history. His reign was largely guided by his advisors, most notably General Horemheb and the high priest Ay, who would become his successor.

At the time of his coronation, Tutankhamun was named Tutankhaten, in reference to the god Aten imposed by his presumed father Akhenaten. Upon restoring the cult of Amun and the ancient gods, he officially changed his name to Tutankhamun, meaning "living image of Amun."

The discovery of his tomb in November 1922 by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon in the Valley of the Kings was a worldwide sensation. The burial chamber contained more than 5,000 intact objects, including the famous solid gold death mask weighing approximately 11 kilograms.

Modern medical analyses have revealed that Tutankhamun suffered from several hereditary conditions, including a deformity of his left foot that forced him to walk with a cane. More than 130 canes were found in his tomb, confirming this disability.

The so-called "Curse of the Pharaohs" arose from a series of deaths that followed the opening of the tomb in 1922. Lord Carnarvon died a few months later from an infection, fueling widespread rumors. Scientists have since proposed rational explanations, such as the presence of toxic mold inside the tomb.

Primary Sources

Restoration Stele of Tutankhamun (Karnak) (c. 1332–1323 BCE)

"His Majesty has driven out evil from the Two Lands. Truth has been restored. He has done more than any other king since the beginning of time."

Abbott Papyrus (British Museum EA 10221) (c. 1100 BCE)

Official report of the inspections of the royal tombs at Thebes, recording checks on the integrity of the royal burials of the 18th Dynasty.

Amarna Letters — letter from Queen Ankhesenamun to the Hittite king Suppiluliuma I (c. 1323 BCE)

"My husband has died and I have no son. It is said that you have many sons. If you send me one of your sons, he will become my husband."

Luxor Temple inscriptions — restoration decree (c. 1330 BCE)

Tutankhamun orders the reopening of the closed temples, the recasting of destroyed statues, and the resumption of offerings to Egypt's traditional gods.

Key Places

Thebes (Luxor), Egypt

The religious and political capital restored by Tutankhamun following the Amarna period. This is where the great temples of Amun at Karnak and Luxor were located, both of which he had restored.

Valley of the Kings (KV62), Luxor

The burial site of Tutankhamun, whose tomb KV62 was discovered intact in 1922. It is the only royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings found with its funerary contents almost entirely complete.

Akhetaten (Tell el-Amarna), Egypt

The capital founded by Akhenaten and abandoned under Tutankhamun. It was in this city that the young pharaoh spent his childhood before the royal court returned to Thebes.

Memphis, Egypt

The ancient administrative capital of Egypt, rehabilitated under Tutankhamun. The royal palace at Memphis served as a secondary residence for the pharaoh and his court.

Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt

Has housed nearly the entire treasure of Tutankhamun since 1922, including the golden death mask. It is slated to be transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.