King Tutankhamen: The Golden Death Mask

King Tutankhamen, also known as The Boy King, or King Tut was one of the youngest kings to reign over any country, said to be about 18 years old at time of his death. His reign lasted roughly 9 – 10 years. The Boy King was a pharaoh, his father was King Akhenaten who ruled Egypt for 17 years. It seems King Tut accomplished very little during his time in power. Therefore; he is best remembered for his magnificent funeral treasures, including an elegant golden burial mask, also known as the Golden Death Mask. The ancient Egyptians were well-known for many things, one of which was their artwork. King Tut’s tomb was a history making discovery, which made headlines across the world. An English Archaeologist and Egyptologist, Howard Carter, discovered

“Gold was also believed to have a magical potency containing significant religious properties. Gold did not tarnish or deteriorate. But more importantly gold shone like the sun god and was therefore credited with the powers of the sun god. Gold was therefore referred to as the 'Flesh of the Gods'. This explains the use of gold in the artefacts found in the tomb of Tutankhamun including the King Tut mask.” (Alchin)

King Tut's death mask also included an inscription on its back and sides. “The inscription engraved on the shoulders and on the back of the mask is a spell that first appears on masks of the Middle Kingdom, some five hundred years before the time of Tutankhamun. It was later incorporated in the Book of the Dead (Chapter 151 B).” (Bos) The Egyptians used spell 151 B as a road map for the afterlife.

Legend has it, anyone brave enough to open a sealed tomb would suffer the fury of the mummy. “When Howard Carter opened up the tomb of Tutankhamun more than 80 years ago, there were grim predictions that all who entered the burial chamber would be cursed from that day forth.” (Baracaia) I found it funny that this idea of a curse was generated by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock