He was an Egyptian pharaoh who lived over 3,000 years ago. Today he is famous around the world and has become almost synonymous with ancient Egypt, but when he was in power he was a discreet pharaoh. So why has it become so popular? It all started in 1922, when English archaeologist Howard Carter discovered an almost intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings, near the Egyptian city of Luxor. There was buried the mummy of Tutankhamun. Of course, many other tombs had been found before by archaeologists, but none of them remained as preserved from looting over the centuries as that of Tutankhamun. It was this unprecedented archaeological treasure, filled with rich furniture and works of art, that made the fame of an early pharaoh, but not so important in Egyptian history. He ascended the throne around 1330 BC, when he was only 9 years old. His short reign was dominated by the influence of tutors and Tutankhamun died at just 18, amidst economic and political crises. “While there is some evidence that he could have been murdered, the precise cause of his death remains unknown. But the thesis of murder is gaining more and more supporters among Egyptologists, to the detriment of the old belief that he died of tuberculosis,” says archaeologist José Roberto Pellini, from the Museum of Archeology and Ethnology at the University of São Paulo (USP).
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