Tutankhamen's Treasures

New Secrets of the Death Mask (1x2)

Air date: May 05, 2018

The shiny royal death mask is the iconic showpiece of Tut's uniquely preserved treasure, vast to mirror the whole royal life in the aftermath, yet Egyptologists speculate it may not be made originally for him but adapted (from queen-mother Nefertite?) to respect the two months period religiously allotted for a funeral. That would fit many recycled elements, like the relatively modest tomb itself and about a quarter of the minor pieces, as well as the shockingly clumsy mummification -even without the vital heart- of the king, suggesting a sudden death far from Thebes. ...