Hawass: Tutankhamun was not murdered

CAIRO - 3 November 2019: Despite his death thousands of years ago, the precise cause of Tutankhamun's death remains a mystery. Veteran Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass has an input on this matter. Hawass truly believes that Tutankhamun was not murdered.

Tutankhamun is a Pharaoh from the 18th Dynasty from 1334 to 1325 BC, during the era of the modern state. He is the son of King Akhenaten (Amenhotep IV). Tutankhamun became the king of Egypt as a child after the death of his brother Smenkhkare; he married Ankhesenamun. The Golden King died in mysterious and unknown circumstances. In a press conference held on the sidelines of the inauguration of the exhibition "Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh" in London, Hawass stated that he believes the young Egyptian king was not murdered; however, the real reason behind his death is yet to be determined.

Hawass clarified that Tutankhamun was suffering from flatfoot and malaria. He is believed to have suffered from a lack of blood supply to his feet after he fell off a military vehicle and got injured. The veteran archaeologist explained that currently high technologies are being utilized to determine the real cause of Tutankhamen’s death.

Furthermore, the Egyptian archaeologist pointed out that a British scientist had examined the mummy of Tutankhamun in 1978, after it had been stolen. He said the mummy had been burned, but he replied that Howard Carter, the tomb finder, had used tools placed in fire to remove the golden mask, thus some parts of the mummy were burned, stressing that the burning of the mummy did not occur in the Pharaonic era.

In his book "Tutankhamun: The young Golden Pharaoh", Hawass explained that the mummy of Tutankhamun did not reveal much about the cause of his death, as it did not attain any wounds or marks that could give away the real cause of the king’s sudden death. The veteran archaeologist further stated that the king could have died because of some sort of disease, but there is no solid evidence to support that claim. Other scientists, however, claim that the Golden King died because of a fatal strike to the head with a solid object, as some damage to the skull is clearly visible.