Tut’ankhamun

Tutankhamun (Nebkhepruré) (d. 1323  B.C.E.) Twelfth ruler of the Eighteenth Dynasty and the most famous pharaoh of Egypt He reigned from 1333 B.C.E. until his untimely death. The most popular pharaoh in modern times because of the discovery of his tomb, he was probably the son of AKHEN- ATEN. As the successor of SMENKHARÉ, he was only eight or nine at his succession. He was married to ANKHESENA- MON, the third daughter of NEFERTITI and Akhenaten, and for a time the young couple remained at ’AMARNA. Then they moved to MEMPHIS and refurbished the apartments of AMENHOTEP III at  THEBES for their use. He had aban- doned his ATEN name by his fourth regnal year.

The RESTORATION STELA, which dates to this period, gives an account of Tut’ankhamun’s efforts to stabilize the government and to restore the temples and cultic rites of the old gods of Egypt after the ’Amarna period. He even subsidized new priests and the palace staff from his own pocket. It is believed that AYA . was one of his counselors at the time, and he probably suggested the reform measures. Tutankhamun had been given the name Tutankhamun, but assumed his new name as part of the restoration of the old ways. He also moved some of the bodies of the royal family from ’Amarna to Thebes, as evidenced by a cache of royal jewelry apparently stolen during the reburial and then hidden in the royal wadi area.

In his 18th year, Tutankhamun died, apparently from a head wound. The nature of the wound, which was in the region of the left ear, makes it likely to be the result of a battle injury or an accident, and not the work of an assassin, although there is a debate about this. When he was buried in the VALLEY OF THE KINGS, two mummified fetuses were found in COFFINS sealed with his name. It is believed that they were his children, born prematurely.

After his death, Queen Ankhesenamon made the extraordinary offer of herself and the throne of Egypt to the Hittite king SUPPILULIUMAS I. The HITTITE prince sent to marry Ankhesenamon as a result of her invitation was slain at Egypt’s border. She married Aya and then disap- peared.

The wealth of Tut’ankhamun’s mortuary regalia has mesmerized the modern world. It is believed that his canopic coffinettes were originally intended for Smenkharé. Other tomb treasures were taken from the ’Amarna necropolis as well. The tomb of Tut’ankhamun would have been vandalized if the treasurer of HOREMHAB, MAYA, had not intervened to protect it. Maya was able to preserve this resting place, thus offering the modern world spectacular treasures. Tut’ankhamun is also cred- ited with a mortuary temple in the area of MEDINET HABU. He had designed colossal statues of himself for this shrine, but they were usurped by his successors.