Who Was King Tut

“The Nile is the longest river in the world—a little more than four thousand miles long. It was the heart of ancient Egypt.”

Just as a person cannot live without a heart, ancient Egypt could not have existed without the Nile. This metaphor emphasizes how pivotal the river’s existence was to providing everyone with access to water and the ability to produce food and goods. The river itself also enabled trade and transport and provided clay for building a variety of structures.

“Ancient Memphis may have been the first city in the world to have a million people.”

Once again, Edwards emphasizes the status of Ancient Egypt as a Complex, Thriving Civilization by stressing the huge population sheltered in the metropolis of Memphis. Such cities were supported by Egyptian food production, infrastructure, and economic strength. With these descriptions, Edwards debunks the false assumption that cities of this size only exist in modern times.

“Servants would have seen to all of Tut’s needs. Each day they brought his food. Peasants ate bread and drank beer. But for a royal prince, there were meat and vegetables. Figs and dates. Wine was made from grapes grown in the north of Egypt, or from dates or figs or pomegranates.”

The decadence of young Tutankhamun’s life is illustrated by the variety of his diet, as well as the elaborate care her received from his servants. His lifestyle emphasizes Ancient Egypt as a Complex, Thriving Civilization, for it is clear from archaeological evidence that the society enjoyed plentiful food production and a broad system of trade. These descriptions also indicate the existence of strict Egyptian hierarchies that benefited the lucky few but left the majority in poverty and struggle.

“While he slept, they fanned him with ostrich-plume fans. That way, the heat would not disturb him.”

The extravagant wealth and privilege of royal families in Ancient Egypt is illustrated when Edwards describes the young Prince Tut being fanned with feathers to keep him cool as he slept. If such luxurious care was provided for a child pharaoh, it can be inferred that the more prominent pharaohs of Egyptian history enjoyed correspondingly richer versions of such luxuries and amenities.

“Evidently Tut liked playing a popular board game called Senet. (He made sure four sets were put in his tomb.)”

Many Ancient Egyptian Beliefs about the Afterlife are indicated when Edwards describes the presence of King Tut’s board games in his burial chamber. The belief in resurrection and an opulent afterlife is clear, along with the conviction that deceased Egyptians would need the same items that they enjoyed in life.

“He wore heavy gold bracelets and rings. Some necklaces of beads and gold were so large that they covered his chest.”

The extravagant wealth of royal families in ancient Egypt is illustrated in the decadent size and quantity of gold worn by young Tutankhamun. The view of Ancient Egypt as a Complex, Thriving Civilization is further implied in their skills in metalwork and jewelry-making. Ancient Egyptian could only engage in such skills because their basic needs were satisfied. However, the existence of these items also alludes to the inherent inequalities of ancient Egyptian social hierarchy, for only a few lucky ancient Egyptians lived in such luxury, which was enabled by the subjugation of many, many commoners.

“Did Tut know how [to write]? Probably. Writing materials were put inside his tomb.”

Edwards presents the details about King Tut’s life as probable assumptions, rather than describing them definitively, and this stylistic choice serves as a reminder that archaeology involves a great deal of guesswork when it comes to piecing together the details of the ancient past.

“The lands under Egypt’s control had to pay tribute. This meant that every year they had to send riches to the pharaoh. For instance, from Nubia in the south came gold. Lebanon had to send rare cedar wood.”

Edwards once again envisions Ancient Egypt as a Complex, Thriving Civilization when she describes the complex network of trade routes and the elaborate tributes that brought wealth and resources into ancient Egypt. Furthermore, her account implies that ancient Egypt held a great deal of militaristic power over these vassal states.

“There appeared to be an injury to his head, but it did not happen when he was alive. Tut’s skull may have been injured when his mummy was found in 1922, so he was not killed by a blow to the head. However, the tests were not able to rule out all other methods of murder. For example, there was no way to tell if Tut had been poisoned. Evidence of poison wouldn’t have shown up on the scans.”

Edwards continues to outline the guesswork involved in piecing together the past based on historical and archaeological evidence. Thus, The Role of Archaeology in Uncovering History becomes an important theme, for much of the account of King Tut’s life is based upon the speculation that surrounds the physical evidence of his tomb and body.

“In the Land of the Dead, the person’s spirit would continue to enjoy all the same pleasures as before. Eating. Drinking. Hunting. Playing games. Going for boat rides. A tomb was not just a resting place for the body. It was like another home, filled with absolutely everything the person would need or want in the afterlife.”

Ancient Egyptian Beliefs about the Afterlife are brought to the foreground when Edwards discusses the ancient Egyptian belief that deceased people would be reincarnated in their exact form and retain the same tastes, needs, and preferences that they had in life. This belief system explains the diverse array of treasures found in the few tombs that have not been disturbed by tomb robbers or tourists.

“The largest tombs of pharaohs are the three pyramids at Giza. The huge statue of the Sphinx is there, too, watching over the pyramids.

The pyramids were built long before Tut’s time—more than one thousand years before.”

With this passage, Edwards delivers a pointed reminder of the vast periods encapsulated within the ancient Egyptian civilization, for even in King Tut’s era, he would have felt the weight of a thousand years of history every time he looked at the great pyramids of Giza.

“Some tombs had stone blocks placed above the entrance. If the door was opened, the stone would fall and kill the robber. Inside, there were false rooms to confuse robbers. And if certain floor tiles were stepped on, they gave way, sending robbers down a shaft to their death.”

Edwards establishes the act that tomb robbery has always been an ongoing problem; it was a risk that the ancient pharaohs and their engineers accounted for and tried to prevent through the implementation of elaborate traps amidst the massive tombs. Edwards characterizes tomb robbery as a highly unethical practice that has caused much knowledge about ancient Egypt to be lost.

“It took approximately one hundred thousand workers twenty years to complete. The body of Cheops was placed deep inside, in a secret chamber.”

The massive scale of the Great Pyramid of Giza is illustrated in the incredible time and manpower which it took to construct. The importance of Ancient Egyptian Beliefs about the Afterlife is apparent in the efforts undertaken to inter pharaohs in structures that would ensure their ascension to the afterlife; it is of central importance to pharaohs during their lifetimes.

“For a long time it was believed that slaves were forced to build the pyramids. In fact, the laborers were hired workers. There was a large village near the building site, where the workers lived with their families. There was even a doctor, in case a worker got injured.”

The developing nature of historical understanding of the ancient world, enabled through archaeological discoveries and historical inquiry, is alluded to in Edwards’s description of the newfound fact that pyramid workers were hired and paid rather than enslaved. Her observation proves that this area of study is continually being refined based on new inferences and information.

“Afterward, all the mourners took part in a great feast. Everyone was joyful now for the dead king. Tut was about to enter the Land of the Dead. He would live and be happy forever.”

In this dramatized description, Edwards conveys the joy that King Tut’s mourners might have felt once the young pharaoh was ceremonially interred, as this moment would have marked the beginning of his afterlife. Her imagined description of their joy is intended to convey the deeply held Egyptian belief in resurrection.

“One English lord sent out printed cards for the party. His guests in London got to see ‘a mummy from Thebes unrolled at half past two.’”

The implicitly disapproving tone of this description conveys Edwards’s own belief that the so-called mummy-unwrapping parties were distasteful and unethical, for such practices failed to respect the humanity of the deceased individual. Rather than seeking to learn more about the past, as archaeologists do, the individuals who engaged in mummy-unwrapping parties reveled in the morbid sense of entertainment gained from the event. Furthermore, much information about ancient Egypt was lost due to the practice of taking mummies and artifacts from tombs as souvenirs.

“Sometimes he used a battering ram to get inside a tomb. He described an accident he had inside one. Feeling his way with a torch, he was looking for someplace to sit. What he landed on, with all his weight, were mummies. ‘I sank right down between broken mummies, a confusion of bones, rags, wooden boxes, which threw up such a lot of dust that for a quarter of an hour I was unable to move.’”

This passage describes the unethical activities of a tomb robber named Giovanni Belzoni, whose violent and careless entry into ancient Egyptian tombs caused a great deal of damage. Because such individuals ransacked and irreparably damaged and looted many tombs, archaeologists were denied the opportunity to learn from these intricate time capsules. Furthermore, by describing Belzoni’s casual manner and his willingness to sit on a pile of mummies, Edwards indicates his egregious disrespect for the dead and condemns his approach.

“Of course, as soon as he learned the exciting news, Lord Carnarvon set out for Egypt. Today, it would take about five hours to fly from London to Cairo. Back then there were not many planes. So how long did it take him to finally reach Carter and his crew? Two weeks!”

In this passage, Edwards invokes a sense of suspense as Carter is forced to wait for his patron’s arrival before entering King Tut’s tomb. The passage is intended to create a realistic portrayal of the anguished impatience that Carter and his team no doubt felt upon being forced to wait so long after such an arduous search for the tomb’s location. Likewise, Edwards forces her readers to wait until the next chapter to learn of the tomb’s contents.

“At first I could see nothing…but presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues and gold—everywhere the glint of gold…I was struck dumb with amazement.”

Edwards continues to portray Ancient Egypt as a Complex, Thriving Civilization when she describes the decadence of King Tut’s tomb, which illustrates the empire’s wealth and resources. Furthermore, she delivers a reminder of Ancient Egyptian Beliefs about the Afterlife by recounting the sheer number of luxurious items interred with King Tut.

“There were two overturned chariots. A throne. Three big couches whose sides were carved in the shape of beasts. A bed with a linen mattress. There were life-size statues of kings. Things were piled every which way. Vases and staffs of different shapes and sizes. One box was for the king’s shaving equipment. Other boxes contained meat for Tut to eat.”

Edwards explores Ancient Egyptian Beliefs about the Afterlife, given the fact that the tomb contained not just luxury items, but also practical, everyday tools such as the shaving equipment, a bed, and food supplies. These items illustrate the belief that King Tut would be resurrected in his exact living form, with the same needs and preferences that he had when he was alive. Carter’s discoveries highlight The Role of Archaeology in Uncovering History, for the contents of the tomb provide many insights into ancient Egyptian society.

“Howard Carter realized that, long ago, robbers had definitely found their way in. But there was no way to tell what had been taken.”

Tomb robbery continues to be cited as a major issue for archaeologists, for although King Tut’s tomb was relatively intact when Carter discovered it, the fact that it had been ransacked long ago implies that its original contents were even more decadent. Thus, critical insights may have been lost to archaeologists and historians long before Carter ever rediscovered the tomb. With these descriptions, Edwards emphasizes the fact that The Role of Archaeology in Uncovering History is often impeded by the historical and modern problem of tomb robbery.

“Then he carefully peeled away strips of cloth. At last came the most thrilling moment of all. He was face-to-face with Tut. The pharaoh’s face still looked young and calm and peaceful.”

The highly effective process of Egyptian mummification is illustrated in the preservation of King Tut’s face, even thousands of years after his death. Carter’s gentle act of unraveling King Tut’s bandages—while highly problematic from the perspective of modern archaeology—is nonetheless intended to be favorably contrasted with Belzoni’s crude battering ram and utter irreverence for the bodies interred in the tombs that he invaded.

“Ancient Egypt was very different from our world. But it was a peaceful world. It was a world of great beauty. The people of ancient Egypt loved life so much, they hoped it would go on forever.”

In this passage, Edwards critiques the trope of mummies, which is commonly featured in modern horror films and dramatized in Halloween costumes. She suggests that the characterization of ancient Egyptian mummies as terrifying fails to capture the wonder, beauty, and complexity of ancient Egyptian civilization, and she urges her readers to consider the society’s intricate beliefs about death and the afterlife, which led them to develop their mummification techniques.