Chapter 2A

At just 19 years old, King Tutankhamen was still a teenager when he died in 1322 B.C. He ruled over all of Egypt for ten
years, the last king of a powerful family that had ruled Egypt for centuries. After his death, the body of King Tut (as
Tutankhamen is usually known today) was placed in a luxurious, gold-filled tomb. There, he lay forgotten until the
tomb’s eventual discovery in 1922. Although we know a lot about his life, the reason for King Tut’s death at such a
young age has remained a mystery, with murder the most extreme possibility. Now, improved X-ray technology1 and
DNA2 testing are offering new clues into the life and death of the boy-king.
Discovered and Damaged
When British archeologist Howard Carter opened King Tut’s tomb, it was still full of gold and other amazing items.
Carter spent months carefully recording the treasures. When he and his team then attempted to remove King Tut’s
mummy, they found that it had become attached to its solid gold coffin. Unfortunately, they did a great deal of damage
to the mummy while removing it.
Theories about Tutankhamen’s Death
In 1968, archeologists conducted an examination of King Tut’s mummy using simple X-ray technology. Three
important discoveries led to various theories about his death.
• The X-rays showed that bones in Tut’s chest3 were missing. Some guessed the damage was caused by a war injury or
an accident.
• There was a small hole in the back of the skull, and pieces of bone inside it, causing many to believe that Tut was killed
by a blow to the back of the head. Was he murdered by people wanting to take control of Egypt?
• A serious fracture was discovered on Tut’s left leg. Tut was hurt a few hours before his death. This could have been the
result of an accident. Could an infection from the injury have killed Tut?
A Closer Look

In 2005, scientists under the direction of Egyptian archeologist Zahi Hawass used new and more effective X-ray
technology to study the mummy. They discovered that the damage to Tut’s chest was caused by Howard Carter, and the
hole in Tut’s skull was made when embalmers4 were preparing the body for burial. While this ruled out one theory, that
of murder, it still doesn’t tell us exactly how he died.

Then, in 2008, Hawass and his team analyzed Tut’s DNA. They found that he suffered from flat feet as well as a bone
disease that would have made it difficult for him to walk. When they analyzed the DNA of the mummies in other tombs
nearby, they made some shocking discoveries. They found Tut’s father and mother, who had similar DNA, were actually
brother and sister. The DNA they passed on to Tut may have left him highly vulnerable to disease. Did an infection that
started in his fractured leg—added to the bone disease—cause
his death? No one knows for sure. But Hawass and his team hope they will someday have an answer to this age-old
mystery.
Inside King Tut’s Tomb
The tomb of Tutankhamen was found hidden in the Valley of the Kings. Although some of its outer rooms were robbed
in ancient times, the tomb itself was not opened. Inside were walls decorated with colorful paintings and nine layers of
wood, stone, and gold, protecting the body of the king. To reach King Tut’s mummy, Carter and his team had to remove
four huge boxes, or shrines. Each shrine was made from heavy wood and covered with golden pictures of the Egyptian
gods.
▌The King’s Sarcophagus
Carter’s team discovered a beautifully painted box called a sarcophagus, carved from a single piece of stone. Inside it
were three mummy-shaped coffins, one inside the other. In the last coffin, made of solid gold, lay the
body of the boy-king, his head and shoulders covered in a stunning gold mask.
Chapter 3B
A Body in the Mountains
In 1991, high in the mountains of Europe, hikers made a gruesome 1 discovery: a dead man partly frozen in the ice. The
police investigation soon became a scientific one. Carbon dating 2 indicated that the man died over 5,300 years ago.
Today, he is known as the Iceman and nicknamed “Ötzi” for the Ötztal Alps where he was found. Kept in perfect
condition by the ice, he is the oldest complete human body found on Earth.
▌Who Was the Iceman?
Scientists believe Ötzi was an important person in his society. Examinations of his teeth and skull tell us that he was not
a young man. His arms were not the arms of a laborer. The things he carried also tell us about who he was. His knife
was made of stone, but he carried a copper3 ax. This was a valuable tool in Ötzi’s time and implies that he was a wealthy
man. A fire-starting kit was discovered with him, so we know he could make fire. And the food he ate and carried
enabled scientists to deduce exactly where in Italy he lived—a village down in the valley.
Clues to an Ancient Murder
But why did Ötzi die in such a high and icy place? There have been many theories. Some said he was a lost shepherd. 4
Others thought he was killed in a religious ceremony. But these ideas were highly debatable.
Over the years, tiny scientific discoveries have led to great changes in our understanding of Ötzi’s story. “[Once], the
story was that he fled5 up there and walked around in the snow and probably died of exposure,” 6 said scientist Klaus
Oeggl. “Now it’s all changed. . . .
It’s more like a . . . crime scene.”
A Bloody Discovery
In fact, the newest scientific information indicates Ötzi was cruelly murdered. In June 2001, an X-ray of the body
showed a small dark shape beneath Ötzi’s left shoulder. It was the stone head of an arrow that had hit him from behind.
CT scans showed that this caused an injury that killed him very quickly.
Then, in 2003, an Australian scientist discovered the blood of four other people on Ötzi’s clothes. Was Ötzi killed in a
bloody fight? It is unlikely, as Ötzi’s other injuries, on his hand and head, had already started to close. This may mean
there had been a fight, but it happened much earlier.
Perhaps Ötzi was being chased when he died? In 2010, scientists took the mummy out of the cold and examined him
again. They discovered that just before his death, he had a big meal of bread and goat meat. Would someone being
chased stop to eat a large meal? The scientists don’t think so. More likely, he was attacked while resting. He may have
thought he had escaped and was safe. Today, the research continues, proving some theories false while opening the door
to others. Ötzi, it seems, has more to tell us about his life and the time in which he lived.