King Tut, or Tutankhamun, was an Egyptian pharaoh who ruled Ancient Egypt starting around age eight or nine. Although he died young (around age 19), his tomb was found completely untouched by robbers in 1922, making him famous today. Discover the treasures of the Boy Pharaoh!
Did you know a king who ruled when he was just a kid is one of the most famous people in all of history today?
Get ready to travel back thousands of years to Ancient Egypt to meet Tutankhamun, better known as King Tut! He was an Egyptian pharaoh who took the throne when he was very young, around eight or nine years old. Even though he only ruled for about nine years and died around age 19, his story is one of the most exciting discoveries ever made for kids learning about history! The reason he’s so famous today isn't just about his short life, but about what happened *after* he was buried.
Mira says:
"Wow, Finn! Think about it—when King Tut was a pharaoh, there were no cars, no phones, and no electricity! Everything we know about him came from digging through sand and finding his hidden rooms. That’s a real-life treasure hunt!"
What Was Life Like for the Boy King?
King Tutankhamun was born around 1341 BC. His first name wasn't Tutankhamun; it was Tutankhaten, which honored the god his father, Pharaoh Akhenaten, wanted everyone to worship.
When King Tut became pharaoh, he made a big, important change! Guided by his powerful advisors like Ay and Horemheb, he helped bring back the old gods of Egypt, moving away from the new religion his father started. He switched his name to Tutankhamun to honor the god Amun, showing Egypt was returning to tradition.
Mind-Blowing Fact!
King Tut married his half-sister, Ankhesenamun! It was pretty normal for Egyptian pharaohs to marry within the royal family to keep the royal bloodline strong.
The Incredible Discovery That Made King Tut Famous
For hundreds of years after his death, people forgot all about King Tut! His tomb was small and got covered up by dirt and workers' huts built much later.
This was super lucky for us! In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter, paid for by Lord Carnarvon, finally found his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. It was the first royal tomb found almost completely untouched by robbers!
He died as a teenager!
Over 3,300 years after his burial
Including chariots, games, and jewelry
It took Carter that long to carefully remove everything!
How Did King Tut Die?
Because King Tut died so young and his tomb was sealed so quickly, historians didn't have many clues at first. Some people even whispered about a 'curse' after Lord Carnarvon died shortly after the discovery.
But modern science helped solve the mystery! Scientists studied his mummy and found traces of malaria parasites. They also found evidence of a bad leg fracture. It's likely a combination of sickness and injury caused the young pharaoh to pass away.
Inside the Golden Tomb
The treasure inside was unbelievable! The most famous item is his solid gold burial mask, which covered his mummy’s head.
The mummy itself was placed inside layers of boxes called sarcophagi—King Tut had three of them! The innermost one was made of solid gold and weighed a lot, like as much as a grown-up person!
💡 Did You Know?
King Tut’s tomb was so full of amazing, fragile items that it took Howard Carter and his team about eight years to safely catalog and remove everything! Imagine being careful with 5,000 ancient objects!
🎯 Quick Quiz!
What was King Tut's name changed to when he started worshipping the old gods again?
Why is King Tut More Famous Than Other Pharaohs?
It’s a funny twist of history! King Tut wasn't one of the most powerful or longest-ruling pharaohs. In fact, in ancient times, he was almost forgotten.
He is world-famous today because his tomb was found almost perfectly intact! Seeing all those golden treasures, like his mask and beds, gave us an amazing peek into the life—and the afterlife—of an Egyptian king!
- The treasures from his tomb are now mostly kept at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
- His mummy shows he likely had a clubfoot.
- His father was the controversial Pharaoh Akhenaten.
- The discovery made ancient Egyptian styles super popular all over the world in the 1920s!
So, even though King Tut was a young king with a short reign, the incredible way he was buried kept his story safe for thousands of years until Howard Carter uncovered the spectacular reality of his golden treasures for the world to see!
Questions Kids Ask About Ancient Egypt
Keep Digging into History!
Amazing, right? From a young king restoring ancient gods to a lost tomb full of gold—King Tut’s story is one for the ages! What other mysteries of Ancient Egypt should we explore next? Keep listening to History’s Not Boring to find out!
