Introduction
One of the biggest cold cases in history is the case of Tutankhamun. When it was first announced many years ago that scientists thought the boy king had been assassinated for his political power, scans of his body and reconstructions of his life were ordered and experts from around the world brought in.
But was it really murder? The signs on his body suggest not, and modern day techniques show that he was not the victim of foul play.
Instead, it seems more likely that a series of accidents led to his death, and ended the life of the boy king before he even had his first son.
But was it really murder? The signs on his body suggest not, and modern day techniques show that he was not the victim of foul play.
Instead, it seems more likely that a series of accidents led to his death, and ended the life of the boy king before he even had his first son.
If It Wasn't Murder, Whodunnit?
In 2005, CT, or Computed Tomography, scans of his body revealed a very strange problem indeed. His leg was broken, and badly at that, with both his right femur and foot broken completely.
This break would be bad even today, and in the time of Ancient Egypt there were no doctors or x-rays to help the witch-doctors with healing his injuries. Since the bone shows little to no signs of healing, it can be concluded that it happened shortly before his death, and later scans revealed that the pharaoh had a severe leg infection at the same site as the break.
Such an infection, though relatively mild today, would have been devastating 3000 years ago and could have easily brought about the death of an already sick individual or an otherwise infirm person.
This break would be bad even today, and in the time of Ancient Egypt there were no doctors or x-rays to help the witch-doctors with healing his injuries. Since the bone shows little to no signs of healing, it can be concluded that it happened shortly before his death, and later scans revealed that the pharaoh had a severe leg infection at the same site as the break.
Such an infection, though relatively mild today, would have been devastating 3000 years ago and could have easily brought about the death of an already sick individual or an otherwise infirm person.
But King Tut Was A Healthy 18-Year-Old, Not 80-Year-Old!
Not quite true. DNA analysis performed on remains of his blood revealed that at the time of death, Tutankhamun had a bad case of malaria, a blood-borne parasite that eats red blood cells and causes, among other symptoms, anaemia and immune system suppression.
Such weakness and immune compromisation would have been a terrible blow to the pharaoh who could then not fight off the infection and would have died within a few days, likely from gangrene or systemic infection.
However, malaria isn't the only possibility. Signs also indicate that Tut had a leiomyoma, a muscle cancer that could have caused anaemia and weakness that could also have let the infection spread.
Such weakness and immune compromisation would have been a terrible blow to the pharaoh who could then not fight off the infection and would have died within a few days, likely from gangrene or systemic infection.
However, malaria isn't the only possibility. Signs also indicate that Tut had a leiomyoma, a muscle cancer that could have caused anaemia and weakness that could also have let the infection spread.
OK, But How Did He Break the Leg in the First Place?
That we will probably never know. However there are theories. The injuries are consistent with falling from a horse or chariot, which the king would have ridden often. However, an experienced rider would never fall that badly unless there were compromising situations, and so it also seems probable that the king was not in full control of his body at the time of the fall.
This is where new evidence from 2012 comes in. It is hypothesised, based on evidence from Tutankhamun's life and the life of his ancestors, that the pharaoh's line during the 18th Dynasty (at least!) had inherited a form of temporal lobe epilepsy, in which the brain recurrently has epileptic seizures in the temporal lobe, causing muscle spasms, loss of consciousness, and even religious hallucinations - just like Tutankhamun and his father are reputed to have had.
If King Tut had a complex partial seizure (meaning he lost consciousness) whilst riding his chariot, he could have fallen and broken his leg. Dragging it through the dirt, plus the lack of sterile environments, would have caused a severe infection and this infection coupled with malarial immune suppression would easily have killed him.
This is where new evidence from 2012 comes in. It is hypothesised, based on evidence from Tutankhamun's life and the life of his ancestors, that the pharaoh's line during the 18th Dynasty (at least!) had inherited a form of temporal lobe epilepsy, in which the brain recurrently has epileptic seizures in the temporal lobe, causing muscle spasms, loss of consciousness, and even religious hallucinations - just like Tutankhamun and his father are reputed to have had.
If King Tut had a complex partial seizure (meaning he lost consciousness) whilst riding his chariot, he could have fallen and broken his leg. Dragging it through the dirt, plus the lack of sterile environments, would have caused a severe infection and this infection coupled with malarial immune suppression would easily have killed him.
Conclusion
However he died, he was a highly influential pharaoh both in his time and ours. His tomb remains the only one ever found with its antiquities intact, and he provides our best link to the Ancient Egyptians' varied and fascinating culture.
His cause of death may never be known for certain. The Egyptian practice of removing the brain and organs makes it difficult to tell what damage was done to them prior to death. However, as far as we know, it was a simple accident that caused the downfall of the most famous pharaoh who ever lived.
His cause of death may never be known for certain. The Egyptian practice of removing the brain and organs makes it difficult to tell what damage was done to them prior to death. However, as far as we know, it was a simple accident that caused the downfall of the most famous pharaoh who ever lived.