King Tut Conspiracy Theory

Tutankhamun was very different from other pharaohs and was well known around the world. His tomb was discovered carved into cliffs in the middle of modern Egypt. Many people call this area the Valley of Kings due to discoveries of many other tombs (Hawass). Finding King Tutankhamun and his tomb was only the beginning for the researchers who uncovered many mysterious findings. The discovery only made the researchers more curious about Tutankhamun and what happened to the young pharaoh, including his unknown way of death. Despite the conspiracy theories behind King Tutankhamun’s death, the real reason behind his death was disease and not murder. Tut’s tomb which was discovered in 1922 and had been able to avoid the plunders of tomb raiders

As researchers began studying the mummy, a hole in the back of his skull was discovered. Many believe that King Tut was murdered by a blow to the head. This theory stuck because people thought that such a young pharaoh could not have died at such a young age, without foul play (Hawass). People assumed that such a young man who was well fed and fiercely protected, could not have naturally died at the age of 19. Conspiracy theories began to explode. Some theorists claimed that due to the amount of trauma to his body, he must have been intentionally hit by a speeding chariot or in a chariot accident. There were even theories that he was killed by a hippopotamus, who were known to attack. Some believe Ay, a rival, murdered him because he was more fit to be king because he was older and already had some power because King Tutankhamun was to young to understand what he was taking control of. The door leading to King Tut’s chamber room was discovered on November 24, 1922 (Ganeri). At the time of the discovery of the tomb, science was not as advanced, so the propagation of the idea that he was murdered lasted a long time. As technology advanced, researchers took another look at the mummy. Molecular Egyptology is ushering in a whole new study of ancient Egypt and the family relationships as well as the afflictions of King Tutankhamun and his