The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson and Martin Dugard

In The Murder of King Tut, James Patterson and Martin Dugard discovered through masses of suggestions- X-rays, Carter’s files, and myths related during the ages- to appear at their own account of King Tut’s life and death. The result is an amazing true crime tale of intrigue, passion and treason, that casts fresh light on the oldest mystery of all.  The book The Murder of King Tut is told in three parts: Howard Carter’s long search and eventual discovery of the tomb in 1922; James Patterson’s writing of this book; and the events of Tut’s time.

Most people know the basics about King Tut and the discovery and following display of the items from his tomb. His golden mask is instantly recognizable. The exact circumstances surrounding his death are more misty. What is clear is that he died at a very young age. The authors  of The Murder of King Tut present a probably answer to the young pharaoh’s early death.

The 1922 discovery of the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamen made “King Tut” an instant celebrity and placed him among the most famous of Egypt’s ancient rulers. Tut’s tomb was broken into by English archaeologist Howard Carter. One of the best-preserved tombs ever found, it was filled with thousands of artefacts, and the golden death mask which covered his mummy is now a famous relic of the ancient world. Before Carter’s discovery, Tutankhamen was practically unknown, and his life still remains something of a mystery.

Howard Carter

Howard Carter got his start as an artist, tracing Egyptian hieroglyphics for others, before becoming an archaeologist himself. His search for the tomb of King Tut took nearly a decade, including a lengthy interruption during World War I, and was supported financially by George Herbert, the earl of Carnarvon. Carter discovered the tomb of Tut on 4 November 1922 and opened the tomb after Lord Carnarvon’s arrival at the site on the 26th of November. Ironically, Tutankhamen had been practically unknown before the discovery, but news coverage of Carter’s amazing find made “King Tut” a household name. Interesting fact- Lord Carnarvon died of pneumonia in 1923, reinforcing the legend of a curse placed on those who had disturbed Tut’s tomb. However, Carter himself lived to the age of 64 before dying a natural death in England.

Tutankhamen (Nebkheperure) was born in 1341 B.C., during the reign of Akhenaten, his probable father, and died c. 1323 B.C. At birth, he was given the name Tutankhaten (the Living Image of Aten). After ascending to the throne as a 9 year old boy, the de facto rulers, Ay, the pharaoh’s vizier and Horemheb, Egypt’s military commander, decided to bring the country back to the traditional religion, hence the name change.

The Revealed Face Of King Tutankhamun

The mystery surrounding the life of Tutankhamen is a result of all the court intrigue during his short term reign and soon after his death. There was even a real possibility of Egypt becoming ruled by a foreign prince, when the king’s widow, Ankhesenamen wrote to the King of the Hittites, Suppiluliumas I, asking for one of his sons as husband. This was prevented by an act of murder, however, and both Ay and Horemheb succeded Tutankhamen. It was Horemheb who firmly established himself as the last pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. The new pharaoh erased the names from Akhenaten to Ay from the official King List. Tutankhamen’s kingship was left out, making it a harder task for Egyptologists to gather historical data for a definitive King Tut biography and the pharaoh’s role in ancient Egypt history.

More than 3,000 years after the dying of the young Pharaoh Tutankhamen, disputes are still about how he died. Was it a natural death or was he killed? The probability that Tutankhamen did not die of natural reasons was first raised 28 years ago when an X-ray analysis of his mummy was made by the anatomy department of the University of Liverpool. It displayed that the king may have died from a blow to the back of his head.

The hint caused a discussion among Egyptologists and scientists. If he were assassinated, who did it? Was it Aye, Tutankhamen’s vizier who climbed to the throne after his death and married his wife? Alternatively, was it Horernhab, the army officer who grew into king after Aye’s short four-year rule? Some archaeologists suggested that Aye and Horemhab might have shared the guilt, working in cahoots to kill the boy.

Early this year, a new X-ray analysis cast more light on the subject, this time implying that Tutankhamen may have been killed in his sleep. The enquiry was acted by a trauma specialist at Long Island University, USA, “The blow was to a protected area at the back of the head which you don’t injure in an accident, someone had to sneak up from behind,” said the specialist.

The result of is an exhilarating true crime tale of intrigue, passion, and betrayal that casts fresh light on the oldest mystery of all.

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