Random Facts We Just Learned About King Tut That Made Us Say 'Whoa' (13 items)

• (#2) He Had A Dagger Made From A Meteor

  From Redditor u/densernut:

  TIL that King Tutankhamun (14th Century BC Pharaoh) was entombed with a dagger of "extraterrestrial origin." Advanced spectrometry tests strongly suggest the iron, nickel, and cobalt contained in the blade are from a meteorite that crashed near the Kharga Oasis about 200 km west of the Nile.

  Context: Inside the young pharaoh's tomb was an iron dagger. This was perplexing because iron was rare during the Bronze Age. More recent studies show the properties of the "extraterrestrial blade" were in fact consistent with the composition of a meteor.
• (#3) The Oldest Known Genetic Proof Of Malaria Was Found In His Remains

  From Redditor u/Sad_Communication:

  TIL Tutankhamun's mummified body contains the oldest known genetic proof of the existence of malaria.

  Context: For years, it was believed that the pharaoh's demise was nefarious, however, with advanced research, it's more likely that he passed from a malarial infection. Researchers stated that "this is the oldest genetic proof of malaria in precisely dated mummies," which doesn't state that he is in fact the oldest case. Nonetheless, in bodies that can be definitively dated, King Tut is in fact the oldest case of malaria found thus far.
• (#5) His Tomb Is One Of Few That Were Unopened And Intact

  From Redditor u/TheSilverBug:

  TIL that Tut Ankh Amun's tomb is the only tomb to date to be discovered intact and complete. All others were looted sometime during the years. This is the unbroken seal to the tomb's door since it was closed 3,341 years ago

  Context: Tut's tomb was in fact found nearly entirely intact, which was uncommon as most tombs were found after they had already been raided by thieves. It's likely his tomb was left untouched for over 3,000 years because the entrance was difficult to see. 
• (#13) King Tut's Mask Beard Fell Off During Museum Cleaning And The Workers Were Seriously Investigated

  From Redditor u/Yajirobe404:

  TIL that the beard of Tutankhamun's golden mask fell off during the cleaning process in the Egyptian Museum in 2014. The workers used epoxy glue to reattach the beard, but since that was not the professional method and permanent damage was done to the mask they were prosecuted for this in 2016.

  Context: A curator came out and admitted that the beard of the famous mask had fallen off while workers adjusted the lighting and cleaning the unit. While the component had likely loosened over the 3,000 years since it was buried with King Tut's remains, the hasty repair job was completed with an epoxy not suited for the solid gold artifact. Eight men were investigated for negligence in not following the necessary protocol, potentially irreversibly damaging a priceless artifact. These employees faced heavy fines and some were suspended during the investigation.
• (#7) His Parents Were Siblings

  From A Former Redditor:

  TIL King Tut's parents were probably brother and sister, and as a result he had a clubbed foot, wide hips, potbelly, female-like breasts, required a cane, and was prone to malarial infections

  Context: Ancient Egyptians believed leaders should keep their bloodlines pure, so pharaohs chose not to "dilute" their genes by mating with plebeians. This led to a lot of inbreeding, and thus, physical deformities. King Tut's parents were brother and sister, leading to a good number of issues. It's expected he was in pain most of his short life due to these deformities.
• (#6) His Death Mask Has A Spell On It To Help Him Through The Afterlife

  From Redditor u/-AMARYANA-:

  TIL King Tut's Mask has a spell from chapter 151 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead carved into the back. This spell provides a road map to the afterlife and protects the pharaoh's limbs as he moved through the underworld.

  Context: This particular death mask is a prized possession in Egyptian artifacts. Intricately crafted out of solid gold, it depicts the young pharaoh as similar to a god with a long beard and nemes headdress. The back of the mask is indeed covered with Spell 151b from the Book of the Dead, which lays out a map for the afterlife and protects his limbs in this journey.

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