King Tut

Tutankhamun, best known as King Tut, was born around 1341 B.C. The ruler of Egypt did not live a long life. In fact, he died near the age of eighteen or nineteen. Why then do so many people know about the boy who ruled Egypt?

Tutankhamun was buried in the area known as the Valley of the Kings. Because of his early death, many historians believe he was buried in a tomb that was most likely built for someone else since his own tomb would not have been completed at the time. Tut’s body went through the ceremonial preservation system known as mummification. This process took many days, and certain organs were removed from the body and preserved in Canopic jars. Ironically, the brain was not considered an important organ and was removed from the body but not preserved. Seventy days after his death, King Tut’s body was sealed in the Egyptian tomb.

In 1922, a remarkable discovery was made. An archeologist named Howard Carter found the tomb that had been sealed so long ago. As he and his team entered the tomb, they found the inside had been preserved and an interior chamber was painted with the story of the Egyptian leader’s funeral and journey to his life after death. The tomb was filled with treasures from Tut’s life. The crew would also find the final resting place of the boy ruler. His body had been preserved for more than three thousand years along with the magnificent artifacts and treasures no grave robbers had ever disturbed. Carter’s find has helped make King Tut one of the most recognized and well-known ancient leaders of all time.