In November 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter unearthed one of the most spectacular
finds in the history of archaeology. The tomb of King Tutankhamun was packed full
of treasure – a solid gold coffin and funeral mask, jewels, statues, even a chariot. In all,
some 5,000 objects were uncovered. It took Carter and his team 10 years to catalog the trove.
All this from the tomb of a relatively minor pharaoh who died before he hit his twenties.
Rumors of curses swirled. One of Carter’s team succumbed to an infected mosquito bite
shortly after the tomb was opened. Several others also kicked the bucket after trips to the young
pharaoh’s tomb. Were these deaths the result of some ancient curse? Welcome back to Nutty History.
While the curse of King Tut’s tomb may have just been overblown media hype, there are definitely
some strange mysteries you might not have known about the famous pharaoh – mysteries that point to
a great shake-up in Egyptian society. First off, no one really knows the cause of King Tut’s death.
Some Egyptologists think he might have died from a leg fracture that became infected. DNA analysis
has also suggested that the pharaoh was probably suffering from malaria, leading some to think that
the two may be connected. Tutankhamun also had extensive damage to his pelvic bone and rib cage.
This has led some to theorize that he might have died in a chariot accident. In 2013, researchers
at the Cranfield Forensic Institute in the UK, who specialized in car crashes ran some simulations
about what would happen in a chariot crash. Based on Tut’s apparent injuries, they found that a
chariot could’ve smashed into the pharaoh while he was on his knees, which would’ve shattered
his ribs and pelvic area. The chariot theory is compelling because there were six of them found
scattered throughout his tomb. Chariots were used widely throughout ancient Egypt – ceremonially,
for hunting, and in battle. But why were there so many in the tomb of this young pharaoh?
Did he die in battle, or on a hunt? Others say it would’ve been hard for Tut to do because he
suffered from a deformed foot, which would’ve made it pretty difficult to ride a chariot in any way
other than in some ceremonial procession. His tomb also contained some 130 staffs and walking sticks,
suggesting that he needed some help getting around. Others argue that these staffs were
simply ceremonial, and that many able-bodied pharaohs used them over the years as symbols
of their kingliness. Yet these injuries could also have happened after Tut’s death. Careless
morticians mummifying his body or tomb raiders could lead to the fractured leg and rib damage.
Yet another theory suggests that the pharaoh was afflicted with health problems during his life
because he was the result of inbreeding. A CT scan of King Tut’s mummy revealed that he
had a cleft palate, an elongated head, and an abnormally curved spine with certain vertebrae
that had been fused together. These abnormalities have been attributed to
evidence within the pharaoh’s tomb that he could have been the product of his father and his aunt.
This was a common occurrence in ancient Egypt because pharaohs were considered deities,
and there was a concerted effort to keep godliness passed down through direct bloodlines.
Then there’s the fact that King Tut’s mummy possibly spontaneously burst into flames
sometime after he was sealed in his tomb. The evidence comes from a skin sample collected from
the mummy back in 1968. It led archaeologists to theorize that a combination of resins used in the
mummification process, oxygen, and the linen that Tut was wrapped provided just the right recipe
for a spontaneous combustion. To explain this, archaeologists say that the mummification process
could have been rushed. There’s also evidence that Tut’s entire tomb was put together pretty hastily.
Spots on the wall of the tomb caused by microbial activity has led researchers to
conclude that the paint hadn’t even dried on the walls before they sealed him in.
Then there’s the fact that his sarcophagus may have been second-hand.
True, Tut was laid to rest in three magnificent golden coffins. However, when he was placed into
the rectangular stone sarcophagus, his outer coffin was too big, and the coffin’s toes had
to be cut off. So maybe a hasty burial could be to blame for Tut’s mummy catching fire.
But others think maybe it didn’t catch fire at all. Tut was still wearing a beaded linen cap and
decked out with all kinds of jewelry that didn’t show signs of burning. Sure, his body looked as
though it had burn damage, but there’s another compelling reason for why he might look that way.
The gaping hole in King Tut’s chest reveals another curious mystery: He’s missing his heart.
Normally, the ancient Egyptians would preserve the heart during the mummification process.
The brain was thrown away, but the heart was considered the source of knowledge
and was thus vital to bring with you into the afterlife. But not for Tutankhamun apparently.
There are several theories about why his heart is missing. It’s possible that he died far
from his residence in Memphis, the administrative capital of Egypt at the time – or possibly Thebes,
which he made the capital during his reign. If he was out somewhere on a hunt, or in a battle,
and there wasn’t enough time to preserve the vital organ before the mummification process,
then it’s possible his heart was putrefied before the Egyptian morticians could preserve it.
Instead, there was a scarab beetle amulet in the place where Tut’s heart should’ve been.
These “heart scarabs” represented a belief about the afterlife called the “weighing of
the heart.” In order to successfully enter the afterlife, the dead person would have to weigh
their heart against a feather from the goddess Maat, who represented truth, balance, harmony,
and justice. If the heart weighed the same as the feather, your soul would make it through,
if it was heavier, you were...well, damned. Your soul would be destroyed.
Some experts believe that Tutankhamun’s mummy was slathered with dark resins to make him resemble
Osiris, the god of the underworld, who was often portrayed as pitch black. Pharaohs in ancient
Egypt were considered manifestations of the sky god Horus during their lives and when they died,
they became Osiris. Paintings on the wall depicting Tut as Osiris seem to confirm this.
Other clues seem to support the hypothesis. There are the wads of linen bandages wrapped around his
head that appear to resemble the conical crown that Osiris wears. There’s the fact that, while
most royal mummies from around Tut’s time have their arms crossed high on their chests, his are
close to his waist – again resembling depictions of Osiris. There’s also an embalming incision cut
into his side – a huge one running from his hip to his chest – curious, and perhaps unnecessary if
he already had a gaping chest wound. This has led some to believe that the cut represents how Osiris
received the same wound by his brother Seth in Egyptian mythology. Then there’s his…member. When
Howard Carter first unwrapped the mummified Tut, he was a bit shocked to find that his manhood was
standing at attention. Tut’s organ was eventually lost forever, but some still think that the
incident was a nod to Osiris, who was also associated with fertility – both of the Nile River
and of people. Finally, there’s evidence that Tut’s tomb may have not even been entirely his.
Some experts say that the most famous tomb in the world is actually too small for a pharaoh,
and that it may have been repurposed for the king when he died suddenly at such a young age.
His tomb actually could’ve been a walled-off section of a larger complex. Two mysterious
chambers were discovered using ground-penetrating radar back in 2020. Some think that one of the
chambers could be the tomb of King Tut’s mother or stepmother – the mysterious and elusive Nefertiti.
Nefertiti was the wife of Akhenaten, and helped her husband with his religious revolution.
Her tomb has never been found. Could it turn out that she was buried with her son?
If any excavations are ever carried out at the fragile site, we might just find out. King Tut
was lost to history. His tomb was forgotten just one dynasty later and lay derelict and
overlooked for millennia. Yet he’s become one of the most famous ancient Egyptians in history.
From obscurity to legend, the tale of King Tut is an endless one that never fails to
capture people’s imagination. So what do you think, how did King Tut perish?
Let us know in the comments below and make sure to like and subscribe for more Nutty History content!