The Unknown Tutankhamun

Description

The reign of Tutankhamun was of major significance in the history of ancient Egypt. Following Howard Carter’s discovery of the king’s tomb in 1922, the story of the boy who became Pharaoh, died young and was buried in splendor at the height of Egyptian civilization captivated generations. But there exists a wide discrepancy between that saga and what scholarship has discovered in the last few decades about Tutankhamun’s reign. A truer story is revealed, not by objects from his tomb, but by statuary, reliefs, paintings, and architecture from outside the Valley of the Kings. Marianne Eaton-Krauss, a leading authority on the boy king and the Amarna Period, guides readers through the recent findings of international research and the relevant documentation from a wide variety of sources, to create an accessible and comprehensive biography. Tracing Tutankhamun's life from birth to burial, she analyzes his parentage, his childhood as Prince Tutankhaten, his accession and change of name to Tutankhamun, his role in the restoration of the traditional cults and his own building projects, his death and burial, and the attitudes of his immediate successors to his reign. Illustrated with color and black-and-white images, the book includes extensive endnotes and selected bibliography, which will make it essential reading for students and scholars as well as anyone interested in Tutankhamun. The Unknown Tutankhamun paints a picture of the boy-king’s reign based on the material legacy associated with him – temple reliefs and wall paintings, statuary, and even the occasional seal impression, as well as the better known objects from his tomb such as the gold throne. An introduction sets the stage with a review of what was known about the king before Howard Carter’s discovery of his tomb in 1922, and the subsequent fate of the ‘treasure’. The future king’s parentage and the meager evidence for his upbringing are the subject of the initial chapter; the second chapter covers the time following his accession while he was still known by the name Tutankhaten, given him at birth, to conclude with a discussion of his complete five-part titulary known only in association with the altered name Tutankhamun. The focus of Chapter 3 is the reign’s program of restoring the name and figures of Amun, the traditional, orthodox King of the Gods whose cult had suffered attacks throughout Egypt under the ‘heretic’ pharaoh Akhenaten. Chapter 4 is devoted to the statuary commissioned by Tutankhamun – sculptures depicting Amun, standing or enthroned, alone or with one of his consorts Mut and Amunet, or accompanied by the king. Some sculptures of Tutankhamun himself as a priest of the god are also described and illustrated. In Chapter 5, the king’s own building projects are considered; many of them sought to link him to Amenhotep III, the last orthodox king who reigned before Akhenaten came to the throne. Chapter 6 argues that no preparations were made in advance for the eventual death and burial of the king; his quartzite sarcophagus was usurped; no tomb can be attributed to his initiative; and the building that functioned as his funerary temple may well have been founded to another purpose altogether. The final, seventh chapter takes up the story following Tutankhamun’s death – the stocking of his tomb, the closure of the sarcophagus, the painting of the walls of the Burial Chamber, the blocking of the entrance, and the filling of the corridor and stairway. An epilogue provides a sketch of what is known about the relationship of Ay and Horemhab, Tutankhamun’s first and second successors, to him and to each other. The book concludes with an epitome of Horemhab’s changing attitude towards Tutankhamun; by the end of his reign it was characterized, at least officially, by animosity, even if the king’s tomb was spared. Cover page Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page Contents Preface Introduction Bibliographical note 1 Prince Tutankhaten The Hermopolis block The DNA analyses Alternative interpretations of the DNA data Tutankhaten’s upbringing 2 King Tutankhaten The accession The reign of the boy-king begins Tutankhaten’s thrones Bows, harness ornaments, and scribal equipment The titulary 3 Tutankhamun and the Restoration The Restoration Stela Restoration at Jebel Barkal? The Soleb lions Amada Elephantine Restoration of reliefs and inscriptions on theNile’s eastern bank at Th ebes Karnak Temple Luxor Temple The funerary temple of Amenhotep III Deir el-Bahri Medinet Habu Restoration work in the north Sculpture in the round restored during Tutankhamun’s reign 4 Statues for Amun The quartzite colossi of Amun and Amunet Amun with child- like physiognomy The iconography of Mut and Amun Exceptional statues depicting Amun Khonsu Statues of the Theban ‘ennead’ Tutankhamun at prayer Tutankhamun as a standard bearer Tutankhamun presenting off erings 5 Tutankhamun’s Building Projects Projects in Nubia Projects at Western Th ebes Tutankhamun at Karnak25 The Colonnade Hall of Luxor Temple Tutankhamun at Tell el-Amarna? Tutankhamun at Memphis 6 Tutankhamun’s Funerary Temple, his Tomb, and the Sarcophagus Found in It The sarcophagus in Tutankhamun’s tomb (Plate XVIII ) For whom was the basin commissioned, if not for Akhenaten or Tutankhaten? A tomb in the Valley of the Kings? A funerary temple for Tutankhamun at Medinet Habu? The ‘Mansion of Nebkheperure’ 7 Tutankhamun’s Death and Burial The cause(s) of Tutankhamun’s death Funerary equipment 1: canopics, mummy ‘trappings,’ pectorals Funerary equipment 2: ‘Statuettes- in-shrines’ and shabtis Funerary equipment 3: shrines, coffi ns, mummy mask, skullcap Stocking the tomb 55 Final activities Epilogue Map with Sites Mentioned in the Text Chronology* Abbreviations Notes Selected Bibliography Illustration Sources Index