Scientists have been left baffled after they discovered “strange spots” in one of the most famous pharaohs from the time of the Ancient Egyptians.
Tutankhamun, often called “King Tut,” was an Egyptian pharaoh from the 18th dynasty, ruling circa 1332–1323 BCE. He ascended the throne as a young boy, likely around the age of nine, and reigned until his death at around 18 or 19.
Though his reign was short and his accomplishments modest, Tutankhamun is one of the most famous pharaohs due to the discovery of his tomb in 1922, which revealed one of the best-preserved royal burial sites ever found.
However, when British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Tut’s tomb in 1922, what he found wasn’t exactly fit for a king”: it was small, cramped, and poorly decorated.
Researchers have identified a series of black spots inside the tomb, which they believe could help shed light on one of Ancient Egypt’s greatest mysteries.
The detail was explored during the Smithsonian Channel’s recent documentary, Secrets: Tut’s Tomb, where Dr Chris Naunton, director of the Egypt Exploration Society, explained that there was ordinarily a “very clear articulated process for burying the king and making sure everything was perfect”.
However, as the narrator noted: “It appears that this was not the case for Tut.”
Examining the black spots, Dr Naunton described what he saw as the “strange spotty marks”: mould, organic matter that isn’t found anywhere else in the Valley of the Kings where Ancient Egypt’s pharaohs were buried.
Initially, conservationists believed that the black spots were caused by the breath and sweat of thousands of daily tourists.
However, while examining Howard Carter’s original 1922 photographs, researchers discovered that the spots had been present since then.
Adam Lowe, director of Factum Arte, suggests that the spots resulted from the tomb being sealed before the paint was fully dry.
This implies that the painters who decorated the tomb were in a hurry, which is unusual in the meticulous art of Ancient Egyptian tomb-making.
Using a series of high-resolution photographs taken within the burial chamber, Lowe and his team identified rushed brushstrokes corresponding to the black spots.
Mr Lowe: “The application of the ochre colour is done very fast with bigger brushes. My estimate is that it wouldn’t have taken a team of skilled painters much over a week to paint Tutankhamun’s tomb.”
Tomb builders and decorators typically spent years perfecting a pharaoh’s final resting place. The rushed completion of Tutankhamun’s tomb, however, may be explained by his unexpected death.
Some theorise that Tutankhamun’s successor, Ay, may have taken Tutankhamun’s originally planned, grander tomb for himself, commissioning a new, hastily built one for Tutankhamun instead.
Aside from the size, there are notable similarities between Tutankhamun’s and Ay’s tombs. Much of the artwork, style, and even the sarcophagus design are remarkably alike.
