Can you make a Pharaoh disappear?

The falsified chronicles of Egyptian priests

When the British archaeologist and Egyptologist, Howard Carter, first opened the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, it caused a global sensation as no one had seen the almost intact resting place of the pharaoh that was filled with thousands of precious objects alongside him. Why is this tomb the only one preserved in such a good condition, out of more than 60 tombs, discovered in the Valley of the Kings?  All the other tombs were robbed many times, and most of the bodies had disappeared. Only this tomb survived in its original form. There had to be an explanation for this. 

For a long time, Tutankhamun's reign was viewed as unimportant, it was overshadowed by what had happened previously.  He was the son of the famous pharaoh Akhenaten who had led a kind of revolution in ancient Egypt. At his command, the gods had been "dethroned" and led by one deity: Aten. The coup turned out to be temporary and ultimately failed. After Akhenaten's death, the process of restoring the old order began. Evidence of this may be the elevation to the throne of the young ruler, Tutankhamun. When the work was completed, the ailing young ruler died. Whether it was a twist of fate or a murder, it will probably never be explained, although there are many indications of a death of natural causes. The fact is that after the burial, the priests tried to erase the ruler and his family from the chronicles. The construction of Tutankhamun's tomb was never completed, and the names of Akhenaten and his son have disappeared from most ancient sources, it's as if they never existed. This "obliteration" almost worked and most Egyptologists only found out about Tutankhamen's existence when his tomb was opened.  Presumably, it fell into oblivion several decades after his death. The evidence of this is that his grave was called rock rubble, it was never officially liquidated by priests, and it was common practice to use additions from old burial places in new ones. 

This is how the ancient forgers turned out to be good scientists. The funny thing about this period in history is that the ruler who was removed from memory at the time is one of the most famous today. Do you want to join us and learn more about this period of Egyptian history? Learn more about our tour of Tutankhamun's tomb.

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