Cause of Tut's Death
Writing Assignment 1 – Cause of Tutankhamen Death
Student – Wuanda S Green
Professor – Amy Rofail
Course – World Cultures 1
Date – January 30, 2012
Tutankhamen died young, at around 18 years of age. However, his cause of death has not been confirmed. Did he die of an injury, of illness, or was he murdered? 1) Clearly state the “mystery” and provide a brief summary of at least two (2) theories which could explain the mystery.
The topic that I chose to write about is the mystery surrounding the death of King Tutankhamen. There are many different theories as to how he died and all of them are controversial topics. Some will argue King Tut was likely murdered due to greed and power, while others believe he fell from his chariot or died from an illness (Kingtutone.com, 2010). Those that believed that he was murdered believed that this happened due to changes that Akhenaten (King Tut’s father) had made. Akhenaten had brought about a major change in Egypt when he started to push the idea of one god, and this concept went against everything Ancient Egyptians believed in.
Other experts argue that King Tutankhamen died from malaria and osteonecrosis. Imaging results in a report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicate that Tutankhamen had osteonecrosis of two metatarsal bones in one foot, according to the authors, and DNA evidence suggests that he was infected with the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (Nature.com, 2010). Still others say that the king died due to an infection. New CT scans performed on King Tut shows a broken leg that could have become infected and ultimately caused his death. 2) Identify one (1) of the theories and provide at least two (2) convincing reasons why the theory you have chosen is the best one to explain the mystery.
For me the theory that best explains the death of King Tutankhamen is the theory that states that the king died from osteonecrosis and malaria, or even an infection
Student – Wuanda S Green
Professor – Amy Rofail
Course – World Cultures 1
Date – January 30, 2012
Tutankhamen died young, at around 18 years of age. However, his cause of death has not been confirmed. Did he die of an injury, of illness, or was he murdered? 1) Clearly state the “mystery” and provide a brief summary of at least two (2) theories which could explain the mystery.
The topic that I chose to write about is the mystery surrounding the death of King Tutankhamen. There are many different theories as to how he died and all of them are controversial topics. Some will argue King Tut was likely murdered due to greed and power, while others believe he fell from his chariot or died from an illness (Kingtutone.com, 2010). Those that believed that he was murdered believed that this happened due to changes that Akhenaten (King Tut’s father) had made. Akhenaten had brought about a major change in Egypt when he started to push the idea of one god, and this concept went against everything Ancient Egyptians believed in.
Other experts argue that King Tutankhamen died from malaria and osteonecrosis. Imaging results in a report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicate that Tutankhamen had osteonecrosis of two metatarsal bones in one foot, according to the authors, and DNA evidence suggests that he was infected with the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (Nature.com, 2010). Still others say that the king died due to an infection. New CT scans performed on King Tut shows a broken leg that could have become infected and ultimately caused his death. 2) Identify one (1) of the theories and provide at least two (2) convincing reasons why the theory you have chosen is the best one to explain the mystery.
For me the theory that best explains the death of King Tutankhamen is the theory that states that the king died from osteonecrosis and malaria, or even an infection
References: www.nature.com/news/2010/100216/full/news.2010.75.html www.kingtutone.com/tutankhamun/murder/