Tutankhamen's Treasures

Most of Howard Carter's fabulous find, the treasure of pharaoh Tutankhamen, has been kept locked in the reserves of Cairo's Archeological Museum, hence rarely studied at all. As the entire collection must be prepared for moving to the new museum, scientists seize the opportunity to catch up. A multidisciplinary team studying his elaborate leather body armor, chariot and arms -especially for archery- finds indications, compatible with data from the Luxor temples and other sources, suggesting the boy king may well have grown up to an ambitious ruler at least portraying ...

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. ...

Two tiny coffins contain the mummies of two girls, by DNA test almost certain his baby daughters, not sacrifices, and lost shots at a future for his 18th dynasty. The like cause of death is incest, as their mother, his queen, was probably his full sister, like his 'history)wiped' father Achenathon's wife and his mother probably also was a sister. This incestuous practice of 'preserving royal blood' probably also accounts for his own painful infirmities, attested by various evidence from the treasure, such as tailored sandals and walking sticks. Yet the weakening of ...