Tutankahmun, also known as King Tut, was a Pharaoh from 1333 to 1324 BC. This makes his remains more than 3000 years old, which is why scientists are working hard to preserve what’s left of this notable piece of history. Researchers and scientists have been in the process of restoring King Tut’s ancient face for more than 2 years and have even used a CT scanner to help build sculptures of his head.
His popularity today is not because his legend was so great (in comparison to other Egyptian Pharaohs), but because his ornately decorated tomb (the well-known funeral mask on his sarcophagus was made of solid gold) was discovered almost entirely intact by Howard Carter in 1922.
He ruled for 9 years and died at the age of 19 – the cause of which is still disputed. Some believe he was murdered by his advisors, but CT scans have ruled out any violent blows to his head and many now believe that he had badly broken his left thigh which caused a fatal infection, eventually killing the “boy king” a few days later.
King Tut, the golden boy, can be credited with sparking massive interest in ancient Egyptian history on a global scale. He is the only Egyptian Pharaoh to have a nickname in popular culture. Indeed, he has become the face of Ancient Egypt.