King Tut – or Tutankhamun – is one of the most famous mummies and ancient Egyptian pharaohs of today. But in reality, much of his health and life has been shrouded in mystery. When his tomb was found in 1922, a lot was unknown about this seemingly lavish ruler. Over the years, there have been many speculations made about what life was like for Tut, including his dress based on findings within his burial site.
In recent years DNA testing has been conducted and we now know more than ever about his genetics, cause of demise, and life. That by no means states that all of this information is common knowledge. In actuality, people are constantly learning Tutankhamun facts – and his life is more bizarre and tragic than most would imagine.
His Innermost Coffin Was Solid Gold
TIL That King Tut’s innermost coffin, (there were three) was made out of 110 kilos of solid gold and the scrap metal value alone is well over 5 million dollars.
Context: While the absolute value of the smallest coffin is unknown, it was, in fact, made of solid gold. This is the coffin in which his body and famous death mask were kept.
He Had A Dagger Made From A Meteor
TIL that King Tutankhamun (14th Century BC Pharaoh) was entombed with a dagger of “extraterrestrial origin.” Advanced spectrometry tests strongly suggest the iron, nickel, and cobalt contained in the blade are from a meteorite that crashed near the Kharga Oasis about 200 km west of the Nile.
Context: Inside the young pharaoh’s tomb was an iron dagger. This was perplexing because iron was rare during the Bronze Age. More recent studies show the properties of the “extraterrestrial blade” were in fact consistent with the composition of a meteor.
The Oldest Known Genetic Proof Of Malaria Was Found In His Remains
TIL Tutankhamun’s mummified body contains the oldest known genetic proof of the existence of malaria.
Context: For years, it was believed that the pharaoh’s demise was nefarious, however, with advanced research, it’s more likely that he passed from a malarial infection. Researchers stated that “this is the oldest genetic proof of malaria in precisely dated mummies,” which doesn’t state that he is in fact the oldest case. Nonetheless, in bodies that can be definitively dated, King Tut is in fact the oldest case of malaria found thus far.
50% Of Men In Egypt Have DNA Similar To King Tut’s
TIL Half of European men share King Tut’s DNA
Context: New genetic testing has been done on the famous mummy, illustrating that he is part of the haplogroup R1b1a2 profile group. This particular pool of people includes more than 50% of the men in Western Europe. This means that all of those people technically share an ancestor – even older than King Tut himself.
His Tomb Is One Of Few That Were Unopened And Intact
TIL that Tut Ankh Amun’s tomb is the only tomb to date to be discovered intact and complete. All others were looted sometime during the years. This is the unbroken seal to the tomb’s door since it was closed 3,341 years ago
Context: Tut’s tomb was in fact found nearly entirely intact, which was uncommon as most tombs were found after they had already been raided by thieves. It’s likely his tomb was left untouched for over 3,000 years because the entrance was difficult to see.
Other Stuff Was Built On Top Of His Tomb
TIL King Tut was so insignificant as a pharaoh that the Egyptians forgot where they buried him and accidentally built another tomb on top of his. That’s why his wasn’t looted like every other known pharaoh’s tomb.
Context: It’s misleading to say that King Tut was an insignificant ruler. While he didn’t rule for very long, it’s suspected that he was forever burdened by his father’s religious beliefs. Not long after his death was the entrance to his tomb overcome with rubble and general huts built on top of it. However, his entire tomb was not pristine either. The entrance chamber was looted as most tombs of this era were, but the rest remained untouched for some unknown reason.
His Death Mask Has A Spell On It To Help Him Through The Afterlife
TIL King Tut’s Mask has a spell from chapter 151 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead carved into the back. This spell provides a road map to the afterlife and protects the pharaoh’s limbs as he moved through the underworld.
Context: This particular death mask is a prized possession in Egyptian artifacts. Intricately crafted out of solid gold, it depicts the young pharaoh as similar to a god with a long beard and nemes headdress. The back of the mask is indeed covered with Spell 151b from the Book of the Dead, which lays out a map for the afterlife and protects his limbs in this journey.
His Reign Started At Age Nine Until He Passed At Age 18
TIL that King Tut began his reign at the age of 9 and died at age 18
Context: Tutankhamun’s short rule was about 10 years. He’s expected to have been 18 or 19 at the time of his death, meaning he was about nine when his reign started. It’s likely a vizier handled a lot of business for him in the early years of his rule to accommodate his young age.
He Was Mummified While Aroused
TIL King Tutankhamun was mummified with an erection. It broke off soon after his discovery.
Context: King Tut was indeed found mummified with an erection. This is thought to represent the young king’s defiance of his father’s religious beliefs. However, the participle was broken off shortly after discovery, and he is likely the only mummy ever found with this affliction.
His Parents Were Siblings
TIL King Tut’s parents were probably brother and sister, and as a result he had a clubbed foot, wide hips, potbelly, female-like breasts, required a cane, and was prone to malarial infections
Context: Ancient Egyptians believed leaders should keep their bloodlines pure, so pharaohs chose not to “dilute” their genes by mating with plebeians. This led to a lot of inbreeding, and thus, physical deformities. King Tut’s parents were brother and sister, leading to a good number of issues. It’s expected he was in pain most of his short life due to these deformities.
Tut Was Buried With His Deceased Children’s Bodies
Tut married his half-sister, which resulted in two children, who were both stillborns. They were buried in Tut’s tomb, and when the archaeologists found them, the foetuses were found to be horribly deformed as well.
Context: While it is known that the King and his wife bore no children that survived, it’s suspected that the two they did conceive were stillborn. Two fetuses were found mummified in his tomb, and at between 5 and 7 months gestation, they were both seemingly deformed.
Tut’s Name Changed With The Gods
TIL that Pharaoh Tutankhamun was not always called that. At the beginning of his reign, he was called Tutankhaton. Indeed, his parents during their reign worshiped the god Aton, hence the suffix but Tutankhamun during his reign restored the worship of the god Amun.
Context: King Tut’s official name at birth was actually Tutankhaten, named after the Sun god, Aten, as his father had previously transitioned away from the worshipping of many gods to only a single god. Tut changed his name after reversing his father’s religious ruling to reflect the creator god, Amun.
King Tut’s Mask Beard Fell Off During Museum Cleaning And The Workers Were Seriously Investigated
TIL that the beard of Tutankhamun’s golden mask fell off during the cleaning process in the Egyptian Museum in 2014. The workers used epoxy glue to reattach the beard, but since that was not the professional method and permanent damage was done to the mask they were prosecuted for this in 2016.
Context: A curator came out and admitted that the beard of the famous mask had fallen off while workers adjusted the lighting and cleaning the unit. While the component had likely loosened over the 3,000 years since it was buried with King Tut’s remains, the hasty repair job was completed with an epoxy not suited for the solid gold artifact. Eight men were investigated for negligence in not following the necessary protocol, potentially irreversibly damaging a priceless artifact. These employees faced heavy fines and some were suspended during the investigation.
Written By: Mallory Weiler
This article was originally published on ranker.