This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Grades 4-6

Who Killed King Tut?

Egypt’s boy king, Tutankhamen (Toot-ong-kah-men), died more than 3,300 years ago. But questions about his death persist. Why would the tomb of someone so important be so small? Why was his mummy prepared in a sloppy way? And why did a Pharaoh (fair-oh), or king—who had the best nutrition and medical care of the time—die so young?

Two former police detectives recently reopened Tut’s case, hoping to solve the ancient mystery. After many months of research, Greg Cooper and Mike King say they have proof that the 18-year-old Tut was murdered. They also claim to have figured out who did it! Now they want to prove it to the world.

Clues to an Ancient crime?
Cooper and King started by digging through books and photos of Tut’s tomb. Then they traveled to Egypt for more sleuthing. At first, everyone was a suspect. "We looked at the entire Egyptian empire," Cooper says. "But we quickly narrowed our focus." The Discovery Channel will air a film about the investigation on October 6.

Doctors consulted by the detectives confirmed earlier theories that Tut may have been a victim of foul play. X rays showed a possible blood clot and breaks in the thin bones above Tut’s eyes. These suggest he may have suffered a violent blow to the head. The X rays revealed a new clue. Tut had a condition affecting his neck. He couldn’t turn his head without moving his torso. It would have been easy to sneak up and attack Tut from behind.

Scientists who study ancient Egypt say that Cooper and King’s theory is based more on guesswork than facts. "Do we know he was murdered? Absolutely not," says Egyptologist Rita Freed.

Freed says that tomb paintings, used to find suspects (see below), weren’t always realistic. Other problems: Tut’s medical report is 77 years old. The X ray is 34 years old. Back then, doctors didn’t have the equipment we have now to detect certain diseases and genetic defects.

What really happened to Tut? These detectives have interesting new guesses, but for now the truth remains buried with the boy king.

Next: Coming Home