Everyone has some casual knowledge of the Tutankhamun. He is probably the most famous Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, has an instantly recognisable sarcophagus and died tragically (suspiciously?) young. Last night, a new BBC One documentary Tutankhamun: The Truth Uncovered, promised the answers to the question people have asked since the discovery of his tomb in 1922: What killed Tutankhamun?
Theorists have long suggested Tutankhamun – or Tut as he’s affectionately referred to in this documentary – may have been the victim or murder or a tragic accident. This documentary suggests the truth is far less exciting. Presenter Dallas Campbell quickly debunks these theories using skeleton analysis: Tut was not murdered by a blow to the back of the head as previously suspected due to stray skull fragments. Moreover, Tut suffered from a club foot and a degenerative bone disease which left him unable to put pressure on his left foot at all, let alone ride chariots heroically through the desert.
Surrounded by suggestion that Tut seemed to be suffering from hereditary disease, Campbell wanted to learn more about his family. It’s not much of a mystery and probably didn’t warrant as much time spent on the investigation as was spent in the documentary. DNA analysis reveals they are exactly who Egyptologists thought they might be. Tut’s predecessor Akhenaten was his dad, and the “younger lady” found in his dad’s tomb was his mum. Oh, and also, his mum and dad were brother and sister. The most famous Mummy of all time was a product of incest.
Importantly, each generation seemed to be dying younger than the last. It seemed to confirm the existence of a hereditary condition, unlikely to be helped much by the incest.
More revelations were to follow. Depictions of Akhenaten and the family seem to demonstrate they suffered from hormonal imbalances and visions.
The grand reveal? Tutankhamun, and likely his family, suffered from epilepsy, which turned lethal when untreated. The suggestion is Tut suffered a fall during an epileptic fit which caused extreme damage to his knee, and he died from the resulting complications. It was a far cry from the grand end that a pharaoh so well known, so revered by modern legend, seemed to deserve. Instead of a powerful boy king struck down before his prime by murder or tragedy, we have a sickly young boy that eventually succumbed to generations of health problems caused by incest. It’s a bit of an anti-climax, and I feel sad. I almost wish I still believed the legend.
Tutankhamun: The Truth Uncovered is available now to watch on BBC iPlayer.