This week is the anniversary of the opening of King Tutankamum‘s tomb in 1923. Howard Carter discovered the Egyptian pharaoh’s tomb with all its treasures intact. Tut who died 3,300 years ago was only about nineteen when he died after ruling Egypt for eight years. He may have died from infection in the leg he had broken shortly before his death. He also suffered from malaria and numerous genetic abnormalities. Why the abnormalities? The pharaohs often intermarried with their close relatives. Tut married his half-sister, Ankhesenamun – the daughter of King Akhenaten and his famous Queen Nefertiti. Tut’s mother was his father Akhenaten’s full sister.
The statuette pictured is from the tomb. The poignant pic (one of many representations of the couple) is from the back of Tut’s throne. When Tut died, his wife was pressured by Grand Vizier Ay to marry him so that he could become pharaoh. Ankhsenamun’s message to the King of the Hittites survived in the Hittite archives: “My husband has died and I have no son. They say about you that you have many sons. You might give me one of your sons to become my husband. I would not wish to take one of my subjects as a husband… I am afraid.” The Hittite king sent one of his sons to Egypt but he died –perhaps murdered- on the journey to Egypt. Ankhsenamun disappeared from history. A sad story of a brief love. Tomorrow, More Pics. Rita Bay