King Tut

Tutankhamun’s tomb is the only royal tomb in Egypt to have escaped the discovery of looters and was discovered by archeologist Howard Carter. The death of Tutankhamun was a sudden tragedy that til this day has yet to be solved. The cause of the famous teenage king’s death has been a long drawn out mystery with a range of theories as to how he met his end. There are no historical records explaining the cause or circumstances of his death, nor is there no positive evidence to suggest how he died. However, there are several theories and many of which have changed over the years.

One theory suggests that King Tut was murdered. During an xray of the mummy in 1968, scientists found “bone fragments in King Tut’s skull prompting this theory”. Another theory as to what caused King Tut’s death was a genetic disorder known as gynecomastia, a hormone imbalance which gives males a female appearance. The final theory was that he died from a “break in the bone just above his left knee. ” Technology showed that this happened while he was still alive and was probably the result of falling from a chariot and developed an infection in the wound.

Furthermore, after many speculations and testing performed on the mummy to find the cause of death, it still remains a mystery. Although there is evidence to potentially prove each of these theories to be true, I believe there are two reasons why he died. While he was alive, he fractured a thigh bone which had gotten infected. This infection spread throughout his body and eventually killed him. The CT scan showed a thin coating of embalming resin around the leg break which suggested that he broke his leg just before he died. The resin “flowed through the wound and got into direct contact with the fracture and became solidified. There was no evidence or signs of healing of the bone and that is most likely what had killed him. There were no antibiotics 3,000 years ago, and according to Ashraf Selim, a radiologist at Kasr Eleini Teaching Hospital at Cairo University in Egypt, “the probability of a severe infection resulting from such a break would be quite high. ”

In addition, the authors led by Dr. Zahi Hawass from the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Cairo, results suggest “avascular bone necrosis (condition in which the poor blood supply to the bone leads to weakening or destruction of an area of bone) in conjunction ith the malarial infection” was most likely the cause of death in Tutankhamun. In conclusion, there has not yet been a definite cause of death for King Tut, but studies and tests performed on the mummy body mostly point to infection as his cause of death. He died at a very young age, however the medications and technology was not there like it is today. There will continue to be studies and testing done, but there will always only be speculation because he died so long ago.

Resources Alleyne, Richard. (February 16, 2010). King Tut Died of Malaria and Bone Condition, Says New Research. http://www. elegraph. co. uk/science/science-news/7251320/King-Tut-died-of-malaria-and-bone-condition-says-new-research. html Hasan, Lama. Crystal Phend (February 16, 2010). How King Tut Died Revealed in New Study. http://abcnews. go. com/Health/LivingLonger/king-tut-died-revealed-study/story? id=9853119 Lovgren, Stefan. (December 1, 2006). King Tut Died From Broken Leg, Not Murder, Scienctists Conclude. http://news. nationalgeographic. com/news/2006/12/061201-king-tut. html. Sayre, Henry. (2011). The Humanities: Culture, Continuity and Change. The Stability of Ancient Egypt. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Prentice Hall

The UK constitution has a modaretely successful history, it is highly tradition and has stood the test of time and, based on the fact that Britain has never suffered a violent revolution unlike France, we can therefore assume that the UK constitution has many beneficial and enduring strengths. Our constitution ensures that Parliament, and therefore Government, can act quickly and decisively as they are unrestricted by excessive constitutional constraints. It is flexible and adaptable which clearly shows thorugh after the 2010 general elections.

However, the lack of restraints on the powers of Government and Parliament may be dangerous especially to minority and invidual rights. There have also been many doubts about this traditional constitution and many questions have been raised to do with the Monarchy and outdated institutions such as the FPTP system. The lack of separation of powers between Government and Parliament means that Government tends to dominate which in many eyes is seen as undemocratic.

The first constitutional reform was to do with devolution; Scotland Act of 1998, Wales Act of 199 and the Belfast Agreement of 1998. The original nature of this reform was so that considerable powers were transferred to the devolved representative bodies and executives. Labour wanted to bring about this change due to the fact that they were hugely popular in Wales and Scotland and so the Acts were a means of thanking them for their support.

This reform has been believed to be long overdue and has been very beneficial and have given each body the right to have more control over their region however it has caused a bigger rift of the UK and therefore has separated Britain even more. The second reform was the Human Rights Act of 1998. This reform has been extremely beneficial for minority and invididual rights, which has been reflected most recently in the Abu Qatada case where a man who had made terrorist plans has been saved from deportation to Jordan, where he would have most likely been prosecuted for his actions.

The European Convention on Human Rights made this Act binding on all public bodies but the UK Parliament due to Parliament being sovereign. Although this act has been beneficial, it would have had more impact should it have been binding on Parliament. Another reform was the House of Lords ; the House Of Lords Act of 1999. Most of the hereditary peers lost their voting rights and there was a major cut down in the number of hereditary peers as it was lowered down to just 92.

There was also a decision to separate the Judges from the Lords ( Constitutional Reform Act of 2005) and move them into a seperate building across the road. It is believed to be a moderate decision which has limited the powers of the Lords as many believed there should not be any hereditary peers. In fact a proposal has been put forward for a whole new house to be created. There were 3 other major changes introduced : Greater London Authority Act 1999, Local Government Act 1999 and Freedom Of Information Act 2000.

The first established an elected mayor in London with an elected assembly to which s/he is accountable for, the second allowed for local communities to elect a mayor if approved by a local referendum and the third gave the citizens the right to view documents and records of public bodies. Each of these has helped to reinforce democracy within the UK and helped to protect the rights of each citizen by ensuring they are more politically involved and have the right to appoint and elect candidates for powerful positions.

Perhaps one of the most amazing finds in Egyptian archeology is the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Howard Carter, the archaeologist whose subsequent death fueled speculation of the actuality of the mummy’s curse, discovered it in 1923 (“Tutankhamun,” par. 2). Most well known because it was largely intact at the time of its opening, the site gives modern viewers a rare insight into the life and death of a pharaoh.

Today, the tomb remains shrouded in fascination as people all over the world visit displays of the artifacts retrieved from the crypt. According to the National Gallery of Art, archaeologists retrieved fifty-five items from the site, and among the items, King Tutankhamen’s Funeral Mask is possibly the most recognized (par. 1). It is also the most stunning example of Egyptian art recovered from the tomb.

The mask of King Tutankhamen, better known as King Tut, is a large headpiece with the face of the young king, worn over the head and shoulders of the deceased. The entire mask is made of solid gold with inlaid blue glass and stones that create horizontal lines along the right and left sides of the head, down to the shoulders. This blue and gold striped headdress, also known as a “nemes,” which is a “royal head cloth” to be worn only by the ancient kings (“Death Mask,” cap. 1).

On the forehead portion of the nemes are two small statuettes, one of a vulture and another of a cobra. According to experts, the “vulture, Nekhbet, and the cobra, Wadjet, protected the pharaoh” (“Death Mask,” par 1). On the back, the lines of the nemes converge at the bottom, in the center. The piece spares no detail, including the eyeliner worn by the ancient king.

As a piece of Egyptian art, the Funeral Mask shows masterful use of the elements of design. The use of color is simply exquisite. Blue, gold, red and black, which comprise the piece, are still colors representative of royalty today. The use of line and space on the sides and collar create the illusion that the young king was large and imposing. In addition, the level of symmetry and balance in the piece is textbook. However, perhaps the most overtly powerful element in the piece is the use of symbols.

Iconography and symbols are key to understanding the artists and the subject. The shape of this mask itself is reminiscent of the cobra, ostensibly representative of his power and fierceness. Also, the lines along the sides of the nemes seem to reflect the image of sunrays. In fact, it appears as if the rays of the sun were radiating from the king’s face. The sun god did play a large role in ancient Egyptian religion, but it is also possible that this represents the artists’ love of their young pharaoh.

The most obvious symbols on the mask are of the cobra and vulture. Other than their use for King Tut’s protection, they may also represent his adherence to the old religions. According to Britannica Encyclopedia, “…serpent, vulture, and sphinx are all motif symbols tied up with such religious cults as the cult of the pharaohs and the gods and the cult of the dead” (par. 2).

Considering the animals’ religious affiliation, and the fact that Tutankhamen spent his short reign reestablishing the various god religions of the past, one must speculate as to the  animals’ religious significance as well (“Tutankhamun,” par. 5). Perhaps these two particular animals were representatives of the gods that the pharaoh worshiped.

Above all, these artists give the impression of adoration for King Tutankhamen in the medium chosen. The entire work is comprised of precious metals and stones that are historically synonymous with wealth and power. Goldsmiths spent a great deal of time refining and molding the metal, while small stones were cut and polished by hand to fit together almost seamlessly in the piece.

Today, not only would the piece be expensive to recreate, it would also be somewhat laborious. Even with the use of modern tools, the work would be tedious at best. While it must have been somewhat difficult to achieve this level of work, without these elements the image of their king would have been somewhat dimmed. Although the Funeral Mask would have been exquisite even in clay, ancient craftsmen used materials fit for a pharaoh.

Furthermore, ancient artisans obviously put a great deal of care into making their pharaoh’s mask a true representation of the ruler. It appears that their hope was to represent the king accurately and powerfully in the afterlife. Although their belief was that Tutankhamen would carry all the elements of his tomb into the underworld, they fitted him perfectly for presentation to an audience thousands of years later with all the riches one would expect to accompany such a powerful man as pharaoh of ancient Egypt. Even today, the Funeral Mask awes visitors with its royal visage.

While some of the elements, such as facial features, seem crude on the surface and lacking realism, they are perfect in their simplicity. Thousands of years later, the artistry of the mask is virtually unmatched. Modern artists and goldsmiths would find the exact recreation of the mask difficult, if not improbable. When combined with the use of color, line, and symbols used by the ancient Egyptians, the mask is perfect.

Twenty-first century artisans could not complete such an important task more appropriately. When given the commission of designing a similar piece, with the originality of this one, most artists would fail to find such a faultless balance of elements and design, which makes King Tutankhamen’s Funeral Mask the most superb piece of ancient Egyptian artwork found in the tomb, and perhaps even the world.

Works Cited

1. “Death Mask of King Tutankhamun”. King Tutankhamun by Wysinger. 27 March 2007. <http://www.homestead.com/wysinger/kingtutankhamun5.html>.
2. “Jewelry.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 27  March 2007.  <http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-14079>.
3. “NGA – Treasures of Tutankhamun.” National Gallery of Art. 27 March 2007. <http://www.nga.gov/past/data/exh410.shtm>.
4. “Tutankhamun.” 27 March 2007. Wikipedia.com. 27 March 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun>