World Leaders: King Tutankhamun

Transcription

1 World Leaders: King Tutankhamun By Biography.com Editors and A+E Networks, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 837 The golden funerary mask of King Tutankhamun in the Egyptian Museum. Wikimedia Commons Synopsis: Born around 1341 B.C., King Tut was the 12th king of the 18th Egyptian dynasty. He was in power from approximately 1332 to 1323 B.C. During his reign, powerful advisers restored the traditional Egyptian religion, which had been set aside by his father, Akhenaten. After Tut's death, at age 19, he disappeared from history until his tomb was discovered in Since then, studies of his tomb and remains have revealed much information about his life and times. Background Probably one of the best known pharaohs of ancient Egypt, Tutankhamun was a minor figure in ancient Egyptian history. The boy king of the 18th Egyptian dynasty was the son of the powerful Akhenaten, also known as Amenhotep IV. His short reign of eight to nine years accomplished little. However, the discovery of his tomb in 1922 led many to attempt to uncover the mysteries of his life and death. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 1

2 Early Life Tutankhamun was born around 1341 B.C. and was given the name Tutankhaten, meaning "the living image of Aten." At this time, ancient Egypt was going through great social and political change. Tutankhaten's father had forbidden the worship of the traditional Egyptian gods in favor of worshiping just one, Aten, the sun disk. Some historians believe Akhenaten wanted to impose monotheism on Egypt. Others say he only wanted to elevate Aten above the other gods. It does seem, however, that he intended to reduce the power of the priests and increase the power of local government administrators and military commanders. As Egyptians were forced to honor Aten, society was thrown into chaos. Akhenaten moved the capital from Thebes to Amarna, and he put all of his efforts into the new religion, neglecting the rest of the country. As the power struggle between old and new increased, Akhenaten became more of a dictator and his government grew more corrupt. Following a 17-year reign, he was gone, probably forced to leave, and died soon after. His 9-year-old son, Tutankhaten, took over around 1332 B.C. Boy King In Power The same year that Tutankhaten took power, he married Ankhesenamun, his half sister and the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. The young couple had two daughters, both of whom likely died before birth. Due to Tutankhaten's young age, the first years of his reign were probably controlled by an elder known as Ay, who bore the title of Vizier. Ay was assisted by Horemheb, Egypt's top military commander at the time. Both men proclaimed that Egyptians would go back to worshipping the traditional gods, instead of Aten. Tutankhaten changed his name to Tutankhamun, which means "the living image of Amun," and had the royal court moved back to Thebes. Inside Egypt, Tutankhamun sought to restore the old order, in the hope that the gods would once again look favorably on Egypt. He ordered the repair of the holy sites and continued construction at the temple of Karnak. Death And Burial Because Tutankhamun and his wife had no living children, his death at age 19, around 1323 B.C., brought further chaos to the court. Evidence indicates that upon his death, Ankhesenamun contacted the king of the Hittites, asking for one of his sons as a husband. The Hittite king sent a candidate, but he died during the journey. Most likely he was killed by Ay and Horemheb. Tutankhamun was buried in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. It is believed that he died so young that his tomb was not completed, requiring him to be buried in a smaller tomb built for a lesser noble. The body was mummified. Seventy days after his death, Tutankhamun's This article is available at 5 reading levels at 2

3 body was laid to rest and the tomb was sealed. There are no known records of Tutankhamun after his death, and he remained virtually unknown until the 1920s. Even the location of his tomb was lost, as its entrance had been covered by the debris from another tomb built later. King Tut's Tomb Discovered Much of what is known about Tutankhamun, better known today as King Tut, comes from the discovery of his tomb. On November 26, 1922, British archaeologists Howard Carter and George Herbert entered the inside of the tomb. To their amazement, they found that most of its contents were miraculously undisturbed. Inside one of the chambers, murals had been painted on the walls. The murals told the story of Tutankhamun's funeral and his journey to the afterworld. Also in the room were various artifacts for his journey oils, perfumes, toys from his childhood, precious jewelry and statues of gold and ebony. The most fascinating item found was the stone sarcophagus containing three coffins. The coffins were nested inside each other, with a final coffin made of gold. When the lid of the third coffin was raised, King Tut's mummy was revealed. It had been preserved for more than 3,000 years. As archaeologists examined the mummy, they found other artifacts, including bracelets, rings and collars. Over the next 17 years, Carter's team carefully excavated the tomb, uncovering an incredible collection of priceless objects. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 3

4 Quiz 1 Based on the article, which of the following MOST influenced Tut's early decisions as ruler? his own ideas about Egypt his wife Ankhesenamun's advice his religious belief in monotheism his advisers Ay and Horemheb 2 Fill in the blank. The author MAINLY explains the importance of Tutankhamun's father Akhenaten by... explaining that both he and his son ruled Egypt in similar ways giving examples of his popularity with the priests and people of Egypt explaining that his poor choices as ruler of Egypt led to his son taking over at an early age giving examples of the important things he taught his son about how to rule Egypt successfully 3 Read the sentences from the section "Death And Burial." There are no known records of Tutankhamun after his death, and he remained virtually unknown until the 1920s. Even the location of his tomb was lost, as its entrance had been covered by the debris from another tomb built later. Which option is the BEST definition of the word "debris" as used in the sentence? loose rock, ruins, or rubble garbage, waste, or recycling old perfumes, jewelry, or statues plans, maps, or charts This article is available at 5 reading levels at 4

5 4 Read the sentences from the section "King Tut's Tomb Discovered." On November 26, 1922, British archaeologists Howard Carter and George Herbert entered the inside of the tomb. To their amazement, they found that most of its contents were miraculously undisturbed. How do the words "amazement" and "miraculously" affect the TONE of the sentence? They convey the feelings of fear and doubt of the two men that the tomb had been undisturbed. They convey the sense that the tomb looked exactly the way to two men had expected. They convey the feelings of shock and wonder of the two men at the unlikely discovery. They convey the sense that the two men were disappointed by the tomb when they entered. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 5