Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.
Introduction
King Tutankhamun, also known as King Tut was an Egyptian Pharaoh who was described as being different from previous Egyptian Pharaohs (DAuria, et al 97). Unfortunately not much is known about him and the little that exists is not as impressive.
Despite being the most famous and well-recognized Pharaoh in present-day, King Tut did not glory in victories or expand Egyptian borders as compared to his predecessors (Edwards 45). In other words, he had accomplished very little in the course of his life.
Research Discussion
It is believed that King Tut was handed over the throne at a very tender age, approximated between 8 and 9 years (Frayling 57). At this particular period in time, Egypt was in chaos as a result of King Tuts fathers religious movements. The kings father had apparently changed the old Egyptian beliefs as well as the Egyptian religious system which were in practice for hundreds of years during his (King Tuts father) predecessors (Redford 150).
King Tuts birth name, Tutankhaton, meant Living image of the Aten (Frayling 61). He is believed to have spent most of his childhood engaging in various sports such as swimming and hunting. He also enjoyed studying. The walking canes discovered inside his tomb years later indicated that King Tut had ailed as a child (Asaad & Daniel 79). Board games were also found inside the tomb, revealing that he also had a passion for the game. Due to his carefree nature, King Tut was most probably ignorant as concerns his fathers political campaigns as well as teachings, hence he proceeded to engage in and enjoy leisurely activities within his environment (Nicholas 24).
King Tut later married his half sister, Ankhensenpaaton, but sired no children. Soon, they were both to change their names due to the introduction of forbidden gods by King Tut to his home (Budge 25). This greatly angered his father and the priests forcing them to leave their fathers capital. In the new capital where he relocated, King Tut held lavish parties in support of Amun, one of the forbidden gods (Ibid 28). In the course of his tenth year reigning, Egypt was engaged in war with the Hittites and it is during this period that King Tut suddenly and mysteriously died, at the age of 18 or 19 years (Asaad & Daniel 83).
In 1922, an archaeologist by the name of Howard Cater made a historical discovery in the Valley of the Kings King Tuts tomb (DAuria, et al 106). Up until the time of the tombs discovery, people had come to believe that all royal tombs had been exhausted of their treasures by robbers. Unearthing the tomb was an exceptional discovery that made headlines worldwide. The tomb exposed a lifestyle that the current generation only dreams of having and in the process provided an important insight into the life of King Tut (Asaad & Daniel 102).
In the past, most Egyptian coffins were constructed rectangular, having arched tops and were decorated with designs symbolizing different things as well as ritual texts (Budge 32). The first of many anthropomorphic coffins were constructed during the 12th Dynasty which was made to take up the shape of the human body. With time, mummies were being buried in three mummiform coffins with the innermost coffin made from pure solid gold. The other outer coffins were made of wood and covered with sheet gold. The general set of coffins was then laid into a rectangular-shaped tomb surrounded by a number of chapel-like wooden formations (Nicholas 31).
What the excavators discovered underneath two sheets of linen while opening King Tuts tomb was an impressive anthropoid coffin whose gold surface still glittered under lit lamps (DAuria, et al 121). Apparently, this was the first of two coffins, this fact having been reached due to the weight of the first coffin. The coffin was made from cypress having a thin layer of gesso covered with gold foil (Asaad & Daniel 87). The covering made also from gold varied in color from head to toe, that is, there were shades of gold that appeared to be greyer than others.
There was a feather decoration on the base and surface area of the coffin. On this decoration were perfectly carved images of a god and a goddess, Nephthys and Isis, having extended their wings (Budge 35). Under the foot of the coffin was yet another representation of goddess Isis, who had been depicted as kneeling upon the symbol for god, that is Nub (Asaad & Daniel 110). The lid of the coffin itself is engraved in high relief with Wadiet and Nekhbet, the Two Ladies symbolizing Lower Egypts divine cobra and Upper Egypts vulture goddess respectively (Budge 37). Wadiet and Nekhbet held in their talons the symbolic sign for infinity. These hieroglyphs were carved from the kings forehead.
On the two excavated coffins, the kings arms are depicted as being crossed upon his chest. Much of the decoration had with time decayed due to the coffin being liberally anointed with thick black resin (Eaton-Krauss 29). The hieroglyphics on King Tuts coffin represented life after death that is eternal immortality. Both coffins had been held together by eight gold tongues and gold pins (Asaad & Daniel 112). The lid was later raised using its golden handles and the witnessing crowd caught a glimpse of King Tuts mummy.
From King Tuts coffin, it can be learned that the civilization which existed during the kings reign was one that possessed much wealth (Rossini 18). This can be seen from the gold coverings, the objects found in his coffin for instance the walking canes and the board games as well as engravings on the coffin. The particular civilization also had a strong belief in different gods and goddesses for instance Nekhbet, the vulture goddess engraved on the kings forehead (Eaton-Krauss 33). Also, upon observation, it can be concluded that during the Kings era people valued wealth and also the preservation of it upon a kings death. This is revealed by the present glittering of the gold embalming the coffin after having been in the ground for over 200 years (Pascal & Jean 49).
Conclusion
Even though King Tut did not accomplish as much during his life as was expected from a king, he is believed to have lived his life to the fullest especially during his childhood days. He was then to make a name for himself after his death through the discovery of his tomb together with his intricate treasure.
To this day and age, his tomb is still revered and is well preserved in an undisclosed location.
Work Cited
Asaad, Hany and Daniel Kolos. The Name of the Dead: Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of the Treasures of Tutankhamun Translated. Mississauga, Ontario: Benben, 1979. pp. 78 115.
Budge, Sir E. A. Wallis. Legends of the Egyptian Gods: Hieroglyphic Texts and Translations. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.1994. pp. 20 37.
DAuria, Sue, Peter Lacovara, and Catharine H. Roehrig. Mummies & Magic. The Funerary Arts of Ancient Egypt. Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA.. 1992. pp. 95 128.
Eaton-Krauss, M. The Sarcophagus in the Tomb of Tutankhamun . Oxford. Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum.1993. pp. 25 78.
Edwards, I.E.S. Tutankhamun: His Tomb and Its Treasures. New York: MMA and Knopf, 1976. pp. 32 55.
Frayling, Christopher. The Face of Tutankhamun. London: Faber and Faber, 1992. pp. 22 80.
Nicholas, Reeves. The Complete Tutankhamun: The King, The Tomb, The Royal Treasure. London: Thames and Hudson.1990. pp. 15 45.
Pascal Vernus and Jean Yoyotte. Book of the Pharaohs. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press. 2003. pp. 42 56.
Redford, Donald B. Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt . Oxford University Press, London. 2001. Pp. 102 -283.
Rossini, Stéphane. Egyptian Hieroglyphics: How to Read and Write Them. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.1989. pp. 13 35.
Order from us for quality, customized work in due time of your choice.