Tutankhamun (King Tut) was a pharaoh who lived thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt. In 1922, Howard Carter discovered King Tut's tomb. It was so full of priceless artifacts that it took around 10 years to record and account for all of the items. The tomb is a trove of literal treasure... and knowledge! It expanded our understanding of mummification and ancient Egypt.
Despite the amazing treasures in his tomb, King Tut lived a very short life. According to archaeological evidence, he died around the age of 19. So what caused the boy king to die at such a young age? While we can't know for sure, we can gather clues from his mummy by using modern technology like DNA testing. Scientists found traces of malaria parasites, suggesting that malaria may have been the cause of death. King Tut may also have suffered from degenerative bone disease.
X-rays showed that Tutankhamun had a broken leg as well. Some theorize that the wound became infected and potentially killed him. How do you think he died? Dig into the mystery with these books and come up with your own theory!
More ancient wonders:
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