The Egyptian Civilisation, despite being in existence 3000 years ago, continues to draw academicians,

researchers and experts alike. It is still an enigma in terms of the rich culture, art, architecture and the
burial methods used for the rich and the famous- now known as mummification
One of the most famous and controversial image has been created of the reign of Tutankahemen also
called the boy king.
King Tutankhamen (or Tutankhamun) ruled Egypt as pharaoh for 10 years until his death at age 19,
around 1324 B.C. Although his rule was notable for reversing the tumultuous religious reforms of his
father, Pharaoh Akhenaten, Tutankhamens legacy was largely negated by his successors. He was barely
known to the modern world until 1922, when British archaeologist Howard Carter chiseled through a
doorway and entered the boy pharaohs tomb, which had remained sealed for more than 3,200 years.
The tombs vast hoard of artifacts and treasure, intended to accompany the king into the afterlife,
revealed an incredible amount about royal life in ancient Egypt, and quickly made King Tut the worlds
most famous pharaoh.
He is the only pharaoh known to have been depicted seated while engaged in physical activities like
archery. Traditional inbreeding in the Egyptian royal family also likely contributed to the kings poor health
and early death. DNA tests published in 2010 revealed that Tutankhamens parents were brother and
sister and that his wife, Ankhesenamun, was also his half-sister.
After he died, King Tut was mummified according to Egyptian religious tradition, which held that royal
bodies should be preserved and provisioned for the afterlife. Embalmers removed his organs and
wrapped him in resin-soaked bandages, a 24-pound solid gold portrait mask was placed over his head
and shoulders and he was laid in a series of nested containersthree golden coffins, a granite
sarcophagus and four gilded wooden shrines, the largest of which barely fit into the tombs burial
chamber.
By the time he discovered Tutankhamens tomb in 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter had been
excavating Egyptian antiquities for three decades. At the time of the discovery, archaeologists believed
that all the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, across the river from ancient Thebes, had already been
cleared. Excitement about the new tombthe most intact ever foundquickly spread worldwide.
Today the most fragile artifacts, including the burial mask, no longer leave Egypt. Tutankhamens mummy
remains on display within the tomb, his layered coffins replaced with a climate-controlled glass box.
Working with forensic archaeologist Dr Matthew Ponting, Dr Connolly used a scanning electron
microscope to determine that the flesh had been burnt. Subsequent chemical tests confirmed that
Tutankhamun's body was burnt while sealed inside his coffin. Researchers discovered that embalming
oils combined with oxygen and linen caused a chemical reaction which "cooked" the king's body at
temperatures of more than 200C.
However, new research based on more than 2,000 computer scans and a genetic analysis of
Tutankhamuns family, suggests that the boy king could never have ridden in a chariot because of his
serious genetic physical impairments, including his severe clubbed foot, which prevented him from
standing unaided. This is backed up by the discovery of 130 used walking canes in his tomb.

The mummy of Tutankhamun. Credit: Kenneth Garrett

The virtual autopsy revealed that only the fracture in his knee occurred before he died, while fractures in
his skull and other parts of his body occurred after the boy king was already dead leading scientists to
believe he may have succumbed to an inherited illness.