Tutankhamen is popularly known as “King Tut.” The Egyptian pharaoh died at a young age. He assumed power at age nine and died ten years later. Since his tomb was discovered in 1922, multiple theories have been developed concerning the cause of death. His death at such a young age remains a mystery. While many individuals died at young ages at this time in history, it would be unusual for a king. As king, Tutankhamen would not be hungry or suffer from malnutrition. Kings were also quite well protected by their staffs (Williams, 2013).
Just this month, a theory by forensic experts has been proposed. According to them, King Tut died as a result of a chariot crash. They determined one side of his body has distinctive injury patterns that would be suggest trauma. They used car crash simulators to support this theory. In addition, they determined the burns were caused by a mishandled mummification. They believe spontaneous combustion occurred in his coffin due to embalming oils (Williams, 2013).
However, in 2012, another theory was proposed by a British surgeon. The surgeon believes that King Tut died as a result of a seizure caused by epilepsy. According to the surgeon, King Tut and several of his male relatives all had feminine features. This would suggest a hormonal imbalance that stems from the temporal lobe. In addition, several of these male relatives also suffered from religious hallucinations, another sign of an overactive temporal lobe. Epilepsy often runs in families and stems from an overactive temporal lobe (Bindley, 2012).
Of the two possible causes, it is most likely epilepsy. Injury patterns may occur as a result of a fall from a seizure. It is doubtful that such a young king would be allowed to engage in such risky behavior as driving a chariot. While the king could be protected from these activities, there was no way to prevent a neurological condition and its effects.
- Bindley, K. (2012, September 12). King Tut death: epilepsy killed boy King Tutankhamun, new theory suggests. Huffington Post. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/12/king-tuts-death-new-theory_n_1877713.html
- Williams, AR. (2013, November 6). Mystery of King Tut’s death solved? Maybe not. National Geographic. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/11/131106-king-tut-mummy-death- mystery-solved-archaeology-science/
