The age of King Tutankhamun.

The approximate age at which King Tutankhamun died has been established from the examination of his mummy (this, by the way, also showed that his height when alive was some 1.68 m - the mummy would have probably shrunk a little but an estimate can be made from the measurements of some of the large bones). Dr D.E. Derry who conducted the operation suggested that Tutankhamun was about 18 years old when he died. More recent studies have attempted to revise this and considered that he may have been a little older, up to some 25 years.

Inscriptions on pots found in Tutankhamun's tomb indicate that he died before he completed his 10th year on the Egyptian throne, so he was about 8 years old when he became king. Egyptologists do not quite agree on when exactly this would have been, but many of us believe that it was in 1336 BC, and that he died in 1327 BC.

© Jaromir Malek 2001

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