Compared to other pharaohs, Tutankhamen was not a prominent figure in Egyptian history. In fact, before Howard Carter found his tomb in the Valley of the Kings on November 4, 1922, almost nothing was known about him. The boy king remains somewhat of an enigmatic figure, even though he has been the subject of much investigation.

Although his royal lineage has sometimes been questioned, an inscription discovered at el-Ahsmunein across the river from el-Amarna confirms the fact that Tutankhaten (as he was known at the time) was indeed the son of a king. Official policy during Tut's reign stressed his association with Amenhotep III, who is thought to be his grandfather. Given the absence of a long co-regency between Amenhotep III and AmenhotepIV (later Akhenaten) it is probable that Tutankhamen was the son of the latter.

There is little evidence as to the identity of Tut's mother. We can probably eliminate Nefertiti, the "King's Great Wife", since she appears to have provided Akhenaten with no sons. Of course, she was not his only wife. Among the king's secondary wives and concubine, one person inparticular stands out. She is lady Kiya, sent to Egypt to cement treaty relations between the two countries at the start of his reign.

Kiya is particularly prominent in the sculptural record at el-Amarna and her special position in the king's favor is reflected in her unique title, "Greatly Beloved Wife". In a number of reliefs Kiya shown in the company of a daughter. She could have also born a son. There are indications that Kiya was a favorite of the Amarna court prior to years nine and ten of Akhenaten's reign, but after year eleven, about the time of Tut's she disappears from the record and her monuments at el-Amarna were appropriated by Nefertiti's daughter, Meritaten. One explanation, among many, is that Kiya died in childbirth, as a fragmentary mourning scene in Akhenaten's tomb suggests.

Tutankhamen spent his early years at Amarna. At age nine, he married Ankhesenpaaten, his half sister. Ankhesenpaaten may have been older that Tut, seemingly already having had a child by her father, Akhenaten. It is possible she was married to Tut's predecessor. He may not have been the direct successor to Akhenaten directly as ruler of Egypt, but either an older brother or his uncle, Smenkhare, keeping in mind that there is much debate surrounding this king.

At the end of Akhenaten's reign, Ay and Horemheb, both senior officials of that king's court, came to the realization that the heresy of Akhenaten could not continue. Upon the death of Akhenaten, the boy king was crowned at age nine in the old secular capital of Memphis. Since Tut had no living female family members old enough, he was probably cared for by Ay or Horemheb, or both.

We know of a number of other officials during the reign of Tutankhamen, two ufo which include Nakhtmin, who was a military officer under Horemheb, and relative to Ay and Maya, who was Tut's treasurer and Overseer of the Place of Eternity (the royal necropolis). Others include Usermontju and Pentu, viziers of Upper and Lower Egypt, as well as Huy, the Viceroy of Nubia.

Immediately after ascending the throne, and most likely under the watchful eye of Ay and Horemheb, a move was made to return to Egypt's traditional ancient religion. By year two of his reign, both he and Ankhesenaten changed their name, removing the "aten', and replacing it with "amen". Again, Tut may not have thought of this himself, because after two years Ay and Horemheb's influence had affected the boy king's impressionable young mind.

One reason why Tutankhamen was not listed on the classical king lists is most likely because Horemheb, the last ruler of the 18th Dynasty, usurped most of the boy king's work, including a restoration stele at Memphis that records the reinstallation of the old religion of Amen and reopening and rebuilding of the temples. The ownership inscriptions of other reliefs and statues were also changed to that of Horemheb, though the image of the young boy king himself remains obvious.

His Death-----

Though we know that Tut died at a very young age, we are not certain about how he died. Both forensic analysis of his mummy and clay seals dated with his regnal year date the age of his demise to between the ages of 17 and 18. As to how he died, several theories have been offered. Did King Tut die from an illness, or was he murdered? If he was murdered, who was responsible? What were their motives? It is just as possible he died from an illness. One thing is certain. Others had their eyes on the throne of Egypt.

In 1968, Ronald Harrison, a British scientist, took x-rays of King Tut's skull. During his examination he discovered fragments of bone inside the skull possibly indicating trauma to the head. The damages to head could have been caused after death, during the mummification process; however, it is highly unlikely. A trauma specialist from Long Island University insisted could not have been caused naturally. He stated, "The blow was to a protected area at the back of the head which you do not injure in an accident, someone had to sneak up from behind."

Bob Brier, an Egyptologist from Long Island University insisted that Tut was murdered by his vizier, Ay. The answer was found after Tut's death. Ay succeeded the throne. Now that the motive is clear, how did Ay ascend the throne if he was not a royal family member? This answer was found through a ring discovered in Cairo in 1931. Ankhenesamen was forced to marry Ay after King Tut's death. This gave Ay the right to step into kingship. This marriage was not a happy event as evidence found points to some points of distress and despair on Ankhesenamen's part.

Ankhesenamen could have made a desperate plea for help. Some tablets, dating back to the end of the 18th Dynasty, revealed a possible last plea for intervention to the Hittites revealing a potential scandal in the making. She informed the Hittite king to send a son to wed her. She clearly stated her humiliation and her worry. The queen pointed out the loss of her husband and stated, "Never shall I pick out a servant of mine and make him my husband. I am afraid!" The Hittite son that was sent to marry Ankhesenamen never made it to Egypt. He was assassinated. Ankhesenamen was eventually forced to marry Ay. What happened after that is still a mystery. Is Ay the only suspect in Tut's murder?

King Tut's general, Horemheb, may also have been responsible for Tut's death. King Tut was getting older and probably ready to take powers into his own hands. This might have worried Horemheb. After Ay passed Horemheb became the pharaoh and restored Ancient Egypt to its traditional times. He moved his capital to Memphis and returned all the temples to the rightful priests. During his reign he removed any signs of the Amarna period. It could be that if he contributed to Tut's death, that this was done to restore Egypt to its traditional ways and not s much due to the greed factor.

Other theories have come to light through scientific examination. Forensic experts in Egypt did an examination of Tut's mummy, and found he may have been poisoned. They believed the blow to the head happened during mummification. His body may have been dropped on the floor, and his head hit the flagstones; there was no trace of bleeding around the blow, the experts concluded.

Just recently, CT scans were performed on Tut that revealed a broken leg that may have been responsible for his death. A fracture on the left leg was found, which happened a few days before he died. It became infected, and he died.

If King Tut was murdered, it could never be solved due to many years of tarnish. One thing is for sure, King Tut's death continues to remain a mystery, and the cause may never be known.

The Curse of the Mummy----

The hype began when Lord Canarvon, the person who funded the discovery of King Tut's tomb, died shortly after discovery. The path to his demise began in the spring of 1923 when he was bitten on the cheek by a mosquito. During his shaving routine, he further aggravated the mosquito bite. It soon became infected and Lord Canarvon found himself ill. He suffered a high fever and chills. A doctor was sent to examine him but medical assistance arrived too late, and Lord Canarvon died. At that exact moment, the lights in Cairo mysteriously went out.

Once Canarvon died the media went wild with stories of his death. They claimed King Tut wanted vengeance and announced a mummy's curse. "Death shall come on swift wings to whomever disturbs this tomb." Not only did the death of Canarvon get all the people in an uproar but other stories began to surface as well. Of the stories, two remain prominent. One is that a cobra killed Howard Carter's pet canary after the discovery of Tut's tomb. The other is that Lord Canarvon's dog howled and dropped dead at two in the morning, the moment Canarvon died.

It is interesting to note that Howard Carter lived a decade after the discovery of Tut's tomb. He spent years logging and recording every artifact found in the tomb. Why didn't he suffer the curse of the Mummy? He was, after all, the first to enter the tomb. Could that be why he made sure that Tut's mummy was reintured in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings?