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Ancient Egypt / New Kingdom / 18th Dynasty /
Tutankhamon
Other spellings: Tut-ankh-amon; Tutankhamen
King of Ancient Egypt 1336-1327 BCE, 9 years, being the 12th ruler of the 18th Dynasty.
Tutankhamon is famous only for what has been found in his tomb — his own life brought little achievements, as he reigned from an age of only 9 until his death at 18. Most of this time, Egypt was governed by the senior officials. These officials brought peace back to Egypt as they ended the monotheistic cult of Aten, introduced by the former Pharaoh, Akhenaten. It was the vizier Ay (who would become the next Pharaoh), who governed this transition, and the religious center at Tell el-Amarna was abandoned, and Thebes once again became the capital. The Pharaoh's name had until this point been Tutankhaten, now it was changed to Tutankhamon.
The general of Tutankhamon, fought the Hittites when these attacked the Egyptian strongholds in northern Syria.
The tomb of Tutankhamon is the one that was most intact, as it has hardly had been touched by thieves. The reason for this was the rock chips that covered its entrance and on top of which the tomb of a later Pharaoh was constructed.
The tomb of Tutankhamon was not discovered until 1922 when the British archaeologist Howard Carter found it. The tomb contained great treasures, including a gold mask and jewelry.
At Tutankhamon's death, not only did the vizier Ay become the new Pharaoh, he also married the widow of Tutankhamon.
© Copyright 1996-2009 LookLex Ltd. All rights reserved
By: Tore Kjeilen
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