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This week I have decided to change things up a little. I am still looking at a historic figure, however, I am focusing on the closeness of their family.
Tutankhamun is perhaps the best known of the Egyptian pharaohs. He was the boy king whose death is surrounded by mystery, having died in c.1324 BCE, aged 19. His remains were discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter and the objects found in his tomb have become synonymous with Ancient Egypt. It is less well known that he lived with a series of disabling ailments.
Tutankhamun’s Illnesses
When scientists were able to properly examine Tut’s body, they discovered that he was riddled with disease and impairment during his lifetime. Starting at the head, he was found to have a cleft palate. Further down, his spine was curved which may have been very debilitating for him. However, worse was yet to come. Upon examining his feet, it was discovered that the left foot was badly deformed. Researchers identified this as Kohler’s disease or bone necrosis. This meant that the bones in his foot were dying, leading many scholars to believe that the 130 canes found in his tomb were used as mobility aids. If having a damaged foot was not bad enough, they also found traces of multiple strains of malaria tropica in his body. This is the deadliest form of malaria, and up until that point, nobody had found earlier proof of the disease. So, I think it is safe to say that he was not a healthy individual.
While these discoveries were surprising, researchers were able to dispel some bizarre myths about Tutankhamun’s appearance. During his reign and that of his father, Akhenaten, statues were created depicting them with feminine characteristics such as wide hips and breasts. This led some researchers to believe that they had the condition gynecomastia, which causes men to develop breasts. However, when their mummies were examined, no female characteristics were discovered. Instead, it is thought the depictions mimicked those of the god Aten, who Akhenaten worshipped.
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| Tutankhamun with Walking Stick |
Why so many Ailments?
You are probably thinking ‘another disabled ruler? I though this post would be different’. Firstly, it is notoriously difficult to discover information about specific ordinary people, especially disabled people. Secondly, the way Tutankhamun obtained his conditions is what makes it fascinating….
Royal families are an unusual concept. One family ruling for generations, until they are either overthrown or die out. In Ancient Egypt, pharaohs were considered to be gods. As such, it was important to keep the blood line as pure as possible, i.e. not contaminate it with mortal blood. Can you see where I’m going with this yet? The ingenious solution they came up with was for brothers and sisters to marry each other!! That way the bloodline remained pure. Ironically, humans actually need diversity in the bloodline to stay healthy and thrive.
Where was I? Ah… incest. DNA analyses of 11 mummies including Tutankhamun undertaken between 2007 and 2009 indicated that Tutankhamun’s father was Akhenaten and his mother was a sister of Akhenaten. However, they have been unable to identify her. Just when you think it cannot get any stranger, it somehow does. Tutankhamun got married to his sister/half-sister Ankhesenamun, and unsurprisingly lost both their daughters while Ankhesenamun was pregnant.
An important aspect of inter-family marriage is that any flaws are accumulated and passed down the generations until someone (in this case Tutankhamun) is severely afflicted. The researchers who examined the mummies discovered that four of them, including Tut, were infected with malaria at some point in their lives. It is no wonder then that Tutankhamun was so sickly.
How did Tutankhamun Die?
Since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, there has been a debate as to what caused his death after ten years as pharaoh. Some of the most popular theories were: that he was murdered by a blow to the back of the head, he fell from his chariot at speed, or most gruesomely, he was run over by someone else’s chariot. People who believe this theory point to the fact that he was mummified with a broken leg. However, the researchers who carried out the DNA tests believe that it was nothing as exciting as these theories. Instead, they believe that unable to walk properly, he fell, possible from a carried chair and broke his leg. As he was sickly and ill with malaria, his body simply could not cope and he died.
What I find interesting is that his tomb appears to have been equipped with his impairments in mind. A pharaohs’ tomb was usually filled with items they could use in the afterlife. Along with 130 canes which he could use as mobility aides, the tomb was filled with several chairs and stools which are obviously useful for someone who struggles walking. Furthermore, there was an unusual amount of plants, the vast majority of which are known to have medicinal purposes. It has been thought that the tomb was rushed with little thought behind it. However, as it seemed to have the necessary equipment and medicine, I would tend to disagree.
What do you think? Did the people who arranged the tomb do so to assist with his impairments in the afterlife? Let me know in the comments.
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Next week, I will be examining another royal family, the Habsburgs.
The Wheelchair Historian
Further Reading
Hamilton, Jon, ‘Frail And Sickly, King Tut Suffered Through Life’, February 16, 2010 4:00 PM ET, Heard on All Things Considered, https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123781211 Accessed: 18 September 2020.
Hawass, Zahi; Gad, Yehia Z.; Ismail, Somaia; et al., ‘Ancestry and Pathology in King Tutankhamun's Family’, JAMA. 2010;303(7):638-647 (doi:10.1001/jama.2010.121) http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/303/7/638 Accessed: 18 September 2020.
McCoy, Terrence, ‘The real King Tut revealed: Tutankhamun was many things, but handsome he was not’, Thursday 13 August 2015 00:28 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/the-real-king-tut-revealed-tutankhamun-was-many-things-but-handsome-he-was-not-10452398.html Accessed: 18 September 2020.
Morris, Alexandra F., ‘Let that Be Your Last Battlefield: Tutankhamun and Disability’, Athens Journal of History - Volume 6, Issue 1, January 2020 – Pages 53-72.
Nuwer, Rachel, ‘Newest King Tut Theory: He Suffered Severe Disorders From Inbreeding’, smithsonianmag.com, October 22, 2014 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/newest-king-tut-theory-he-suffered-severe-disorders-due-inbreeding-180953113/ Accessed: 18 September 2020.
Than, Ker, ‘King Tut Mysteries Solved: Was Disabled, Malarial, and Inbred’,National Geographic News ,February 17, 2010 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/2/100216-king-tut-malaria-bones-inbred-tutankhamun/ Accessed: 18 September 2020.
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