Tutankhamun(/tutnkmun/;[3]alternatively spelled withTutenkh-,-amen,-amon) was an Egyptianpharaohof the18th dynasty(ruled ca. 1332 BC 1323 BC in the conventional chronology), during the period ofEgyptian historyknown as theNew Kingdom.He is popularly referred to asKing Tut. His original name,Tutankhaten,means "Living Image ofAten", while Tutankhamun means "Living Image ofAmun". In hieroglyphs, the name Tutankhamun was typically written Amen-tut-ankh, because of a scribal custom that placed a divine name at the beginning of a phrase to show appropriate reverence.[4]He is possibly also theNibhurrereyaof theAmarna letters, and likely the 18th dynasty king Rathotis who, according toManetho, an ancient historian, had reigned for nine yearsa figure that conforms withFlavius Josephus's version of Manetho'sEpitome.[5]The 1922 discovery byHoward CarterandGeorge Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon[6][7]of Tutankhamun'snearly intact tombreceived worldwide press coverage. It sparked a renewed public interest inancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun'sburial mask, now inCairo Museum, remains the popular symbol. Exhibits of artifacts from his tomb have toured the world. In February 2010, the results ofDNA testsconfirmed that he was the son ofAkhenaten(mummy KV55) and Akhenaten's sister and wife (mummy KV35YL), whose name is unknown but whose remains are positively identified as "The Younger Lady" mummy found inKV35.[8]Contents[hide] 1Life 1.1Reign 1.2Health and appearance 1.3Genealogy 1.4Death 1.5Aftermath 2Significance 3Tomb 4Legacy 5In popular culture 5.1Film and television 5.2Other media 6Names 7Ancestry 8References 9Further reading 10External linksLifeTutankhamun was the son ofAkhenaten(formerly Amenhotep IV) and one of Akhenaten's sisters,[9]or perhaps one of his cousins.[10]As a prince he was known as Tutankhaten.[11]He ascended to the throne in 1333 BC, at the age of nine or ten, taking the throne name Nebkheperure.[12]His wet-nurse was a woman calledMaia, known from her tomb atSaqqara.[13]A teacher was most likelySennedjem.When he became king, he married his half-sister, Ankhesenpaaten, who later changed her name toAnkhesenamun. They had two daughters, both stillborn.[8]Computed tomographystudies released in 2011 revealed that one daughter died at 56 months of pregnancy and the other at 9 months of pregnancy. No evidence was found in either mummy of congenital anomalies or an apparent cause of death.[14]Reign

Cartouchesof his birth and throne names are displayed between rampantSekhmetlioness warrior images (perhaps with his head) crushing enemies of several ethnicities, whileNekhbetflies protectively above.Given his age, the king probably had very powerful advisers, presumably including GeneralHoremheband the VizierAy. Horemheb records that the king appointed him "lord of the land" as hereditary prince to maintain law. He also noted his ability to calm the young king when his temper flared.[15]In his third regnal year, Tutankhamun reversed several changes made during his father's reign. He ended the worship of the godAtenand restored the godAmunto supremacy. The ban on the cult of Amun was lifted and traditional privileges were restored to its priesthood. The capital was moved back toThebesand the city ofAkhetatenabandoned.[16]This is when he changed his name to Tutankhamun, "Living image of Amun", reinforcing the restoration of Amun.As part of his restoration, the king initiated building projects, in particular at Thebes andKarnak, where he dedicated a temple toAmun. Many monuments were erected, and an inscription on his tomb door declares the king had "spent his life in fashioning the images of the gods". The traditional festivals were now celebrated again, including those related to theApis Bull, Horemakhet, andOpet. His restoration stela says:The temples of the gods and goddesses ... were in ruins. Their shrines were deserted and overgrown. Their sanctuaries were as non-existent and their courts were used as roads ... the gods turned their backs upon this land ... If anyone made a prayer to a god for advice he would never respond.[17]The country was economically weak and in turmoil following the reign of Akhenaten. Diplomatic relations with other kingdoms had been neglected, and Tutankhamun sought to restore them, in particular with theMitanni. Evidence of his success is suggested by the gifts from various countries found in his tomb. Despite his efforts for improved relations, battles withNubiansandAsiaticswere recorded in his mortuary temple at Thebes. His tomb contained body armor and folding stools appropriate for military campaigns. However, given his youth and physical disabilities, which seemed to require the use of a cane in order to walk (he died c. age 19), historians speculate that he did not personally take part in these battles.[8][18]Health and appearanceSee also:Racial identity of Tutankhamun

Stripped of all its jewels, the mummy of Tutankhamun remains in theValley of the Kingsin hisKV62chamber.Tutankhamun was slight of build, and was roughly 180cm (5ft 11in) tall.[19]He had large frontincisorsand the overbite characteristic of theThutmosidroyal line to which he belonged. Between September 2007 and October 2009, various mummies were subjected to detailed anthropological, radiological, and genetic studies as part of the King Tutankhamun Family Project. It was determined that none of the mummies of the Tutankhamun lineage has a cephalic index of 75 or less (indicating dolichocephaly), that Tutankhamun actually has a cephalic index of 83.9, indicating brachycephaly, and that none of their skull shapes can be considered pathological.[20]The research also showed that Tutankhamun had "a slightlycleft palate"[21]and possibly a mild case ofscoliosis, a medical condition in which the spine is curved from side to side.