What was Tutankhamun like?

Why was Tutankhamun’s tomb filled with so many treasures?

A photo of a wooden statue of the pharaoh Tutankhamun. — Image caption,
This wooden statue, found in his tomb, showed what Tutankhamun may have looked like as a young boy.

Tutankhamun was a young Pharaoh (a ruler in Ancient Egypt), who ruled Egypt over 3,000 years ago.

He is often called the “boy king” because he became Pharaoh when he was very young.

Tutankhamun’s tomb (a special place where people were buried after they died) was discovered by British archaeologist (a person who studies the past) Howard Carter in 1922.

It contained many treasures that teach us about life in Ancient Egypt.

Ancient Egyptian tombs were built to hold the bodies of Pharaohs.

They were filled with treasures and offerings to help the Pharaohs in the afterlife.

Offerings often included: food and drink, clothes, jewellery, weapons and statues.

Important words

Important words on what Tutankhamun was really like.

Keyword	Definition
Anubis	The Ancient Egyptian god of mummies and the afterlife.
Archaeologist	A person who studies the past.
Egyptologist	A person who studies Ancient Egypt.
Malaria	A sickness caused by mosquito bites.
Pharoah	A ruler in Ancient Egypt.
Temples	Special buildings where people worshiped gods.
Tomb	A special place where people were buried after they died.

Watch: Let’s meet Tutankhamun

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Learn about the famous Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

What did Tutankhamun do?

A photo of the burial mask of Tutankhamun — Image caption,
The burial mask of Tutankhamun, one of the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.

Tutankhamun became Pharaoh when he was about 9 years old.

He is often called the “boy king” because he became Pharaoh as a child.

He had powerful advisers who helped him rule.

He also let the people worship their old gods again and repaired damaged temples (special buildings where people worshiped gods).

Tutankhamun died when he was 18 years old and was buried in the Valley of the Kings.

His tomb was discovered with lots of treasure, which taught people about Ancient Egypt.

Modern technology showed that Tutankhamun was in poor health and had a broken leg, possibly from a chariot accident.

Scientists now believe he died of malaria (a sickness caused by mosquito bites), combined with an infection in his broken leg.

What was inside Tutankhamun's tomb?

In 1917, Howard Carter, a British Egyptologist began searching for Tutankhamun’s tomb.

The tomb was discovered in November, 1922. It took them a long time to find because not only was his tomb smaller than other Pharaohs, the houses of other Ancient Egyptians were built on top of it.

Inside there were 5,398 items, including:

Tutankhamun's famous gold burial mask
A solid gold coffin
His thrones
Trumpets
A fresh linen statue of Anubis (the Ancient Egyptian god of mummies and the afterlife)
Chariots
A dagger made from meteorite iron

Click through the slideshow to see inside Tutankhamun's tomb.

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Image caption,
A replica (modern copy) of Tutankhamun's tomb as it was discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922, by candlelight.
Image caption,
Tutankhamun's tomb was protected by two life sized statues of himself, and a mud covered wall with cartouches (ovals featuring hieroglyphs). This photo was taken by Howard Carter's team in 1922.
Image caption,
Archaeologist Howard Carter and an aide investigating Tutankhamun's scarphogus (coffin) in 1922.
Image caption,
Tutankhamun's inner tomb was covered in colourful artwork of gods and goddesses and hieroglyphs. A modern photograph of the preserved tomb and sarcophagus.
Image caption,
The west side of Tutankhamun's tomb which was filled with chariots, golden beds shaped like animals and food and clothing for the afterlife.
Image caption,
Archaeologists Howard Carter and Arthur Callender preparing to remove items from Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. Everything in the tomb was catalogued and sent to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, though Carter was suspected of stealing some items.

Watch: Tutankhamun's tomb

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Dan Cruikshank tells the story of Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.

Slideshow: Famous Pharoahs

Click through the slideshow to learn more about some of the most famous Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs.

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Image caption,
Hatshepsut (1478 - 1458BC)
Hatshepsut was the longest reigning female pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. She ruled for about 21 years. She is considered one of the most successful pharaohs. She became pharaoh after her husband died, because her stepson was too young to rule. She commissioned hundreds of grand buildings and established important trade routes.
Image caption,
Amenhotep III (1391 BC - 1353BC)
Amenhotep III was a powerful pharaoh who ruled Egypt for almost 40 years. Amenhotep III built many of Ancient Egypt's famous monuments, including the Luxor Temple and the Colossi of Memnon.
Image caption,
Ramesses II (1279 - 1213BC)
Ramesses II was one of the most powerful pharaohs. He ruled for about 66 years, which is one of the longest reigns in Egyptian history. He led many military expeditions, founded cities and had huge statues of himself built.
Image caption,
Cleopatra VII (51 - 30BC)
Cleopatra VII was Ancient Egypt's last pharaoh. After her reign, Egypt became a part of the Roman Empire and this was the end of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.

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