King Tutankhamun Accomplishments

Tutankhamun's tomb is considered one of most significant discoveries largely because it was among the best preserved tombs, while his sarcophagus, and death mask, and the mummification process both a played a larger part in securing his ka in the afterlife. The Egyptians placed so much valued on the idea of an afterlife, since those who were not of royal birth could secure a better place in the next life. According to Kiner “Egyptians believed in the eternal existence of a person’s ka, or life force, which continued to inhabit the corpse after an individual died.” (Kiner, Chapter Introduction). In order for the ka to live to the afterlife, the body of the deceased must be kept in intact, through the process of embalming. The painstaking

Presently King Tutankhamun isn't know for his accomplishment but from grandness of his tomb. The discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun on November 1922 by Howard Carter had a huge historical impact. The towards the end of a long expedition sponsored by the Earl of Carnarvon the discovery of “ only royal tomb found almost intact in the Valley of Kings, an ancient burial ground where most of the pharaohs of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, Twentieth Dynasties were put to eternal rest” (Silverman, 2). Considering the fact that many pharaohs would actually have their sarcophagus completed even before their tombs. Since King Tutankhamun’s death was untimely the tomb that was discovered by Carter wasn't intended for the burial of any pharaoh, but had to make do. Since King Tut’s tomb is missing a well room, succession of descending stairways and hallways, and piers, all can be taking into consideration that “It’s plan does not meet the requirements for a king’s tomb that had evolved from Thutmose III’s reign” (Eaton-Krauss. 92). There is also evidence showing that many of the object buried with King Tut were actually for the Neferneferuaten the female pharaoh before him. Although this tomb was not intended for King Tutankhamun his followers were quickly able to prepare an eternal home

King Tutankhamun’s innermost coffin and death mask (Figures 1,2) were completely covered in beaten gold with “semiprecious stones such as lapis lazuli, turquoise, and carnelian” (Kiner, 3-5d). These items showed the how much attention to detail the Egyptians took in preparing their King for his afterlife. The death mask of King Tutankhamun is probably the most recognized item in present day, but beside it being completely aesthetically pleasing it show him with idealized features wearing the traditional false beard and uraeus cobra headdress (Figure 2). For the Egyptians the death mask provided the dead with a face in the afterlife, but also allowed the spirit to recognize his or her body. King Tutankhamun was buried within three different coffin but the innermost portrays him as Osiris, the god of afterlife, “The face was again that of the king, but the features, though conventional, by symbolizing Osiris, were even more youthful than those on the other coffins” (Work at the Tomb of Tutankhamun, 9). While the outermost sarcophagus’ lid and basin were created out of two different types of stone “the lid of the sarcophagus in Tutankhamun’s tomb is also granite, but the basin is made of dark red quartzite” (Eaton-Krauss, 88). The lid of the outermost sarcophagus depicts the god of midday sun Behdety’s icon, and Anubis and Thoth officiating the