Tutankhamun
1336-1327 B.C.
18th Dynasty
The most famous of all the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, King Nebkheperura
Tutankhamun was actually a short lived and pretty unimportant ruler during
a transitional period in history.
Tutankhamun was named Tutankhaten when he was born. Tutankhaten means the
Living Image of the Aten. The Aten was the single god worshipped during
the rule Akhenaten, the heretic king who is believed to have been the
father of Tutankhamun. Not long after Tutankhaten became Pharaoh, there was
a restoration of the previously-deposed state god Amun and his name was
changed to Tutankhamun (meaning Living Image of Amun)
Until the discovery of his tomb Tutankhamun was a fairly insignificant
and little known king from the 18th Dynasty and there still is very little
information about him - I actually found a 200 page book, but about 99% of it
was about the tomb. Tutankhamun grew up in the royal palace at Akhetaten, but
during his reign power was switched away back to Thebes.
The nearly intact tomb of King Tutankhamun was found in 1922 by Howard Carter and his
sponsor Lord Carnarvon. It is located in the Valley of the Kings, the traditional
burial place for New Kingdom pharaohs. The tomb contained thousands of objects,
including ceremonial couches in the shape of animals, chariots, statuettes,
weapons, inlaid boxes, thrones, and jewelry, but the mummy itself wasn't found
until 1924. Lord Carnavon never had the chance to see the sarcophagus; he died in
1923. His death was immediatly considered to be an evidence of that Tutankhamun's
tomb was cursed.