Death, Coffin, Fire, Mystery

Greetings Dear Reader!

There are questions that cannot be answered. And some unsolved mysteries which cannot be explained. Egypt is a country with many unsolved mysteries. One of the greatest mysteries of all time is thanks to Egypt. And the mystery that I am talking about is the death of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamen (Also known as King Tut).

The ancient Egyptian kings were known by the name of 'Pharaoh'. Pharaoh was the most powerful person and thus the ruler of Egypt. King Tutankhamen was born in 1341 B.C. and died at an early age of 18 in 1323 B.C. after reigning for a short period of 9 years form 1332 B.C. to 1323 B.C. Though the King died more than 3300 years ago, the mystery of his death continues to haunt the scientists all over the world. But what exactly is the mystery about the death of the king? Why has no one been able to give a justified answer to this mystery? Let us have a look.

The painting on the wall of King Tutankhamen's tomb

Firstly, the cause of the King's death is unknown. For a pharaoh who was presumably well fed, well protected and free from any diseases, it is hard to accept the fact that he died a normal death. Secondly, the most shocking incident is that after the mummy of the pharaoh was placed inside the tomb in a three-layered coffin, the innermost coffin somehow caught fire and the mummy of the pharaoh turned charcoal black. What could possibly be the reason behind the innermost coffin catching fire?

King Tutankhamen

King Tutankhamen's Throne

And now for what the scientists have concluded-


The Demise-

First things first. The cause of the death. According to the reports of the UK, a team of scientists took x-rays of King Tut's body in 1968. This report revealed that a breastbone was missing from the mummy and stubs of ribs were lined up along the backbone, smashed and removed. Recent scans also revealed severe damage to the rib cage and a broken leg.

A recent British research suggests that a speeding chariot could have run into the King while he was on his knees. Another proposed theory is that of a chariot crash. As Egyptian kings were fond of hunting, King Tut might have been riding a chariot, possibly during a hunt or a battle. The explanation to the damage in King Tut's chest is a swift kick by a horse which is possible as the pharaoh's chariots were driven by horses. An unbelievable theory also suggests that a hippopotamus might have charged on him while he was on foot in a marsh land.

While all the above mentioned theories seem to be true, there is one more possible explanation, in case someone doesn't agree with what has been mentioned above. It is also believed that had it not been a horse, or a chariot run or a hippopotamus, modern thieves operating during World War II might have entered the unguarded tomb of the pharaoh and sawed through the his ribs to remove all the beads and precious stones stuck to the king's chest.

The Burnt Coffin-

In the process of mummification, the skin and flesh of the corpse is preserved by removing the internal organs (and thus the moisture) and allowing the body to dry. The body is then wrapped in long strips of cloth and a great quantity of oils and resins is poured over the body to prepare the dead person for eternity.

The original sarcophagus (coffin) of King Tutankhamen

These oils and resins in King Tut's mummy somehow burst into flames after it had been sealed in several coffins. This theory that the coffin might have caught fire came into light when a scrap of King Tut's flesh collected in 1968 was tested. Tut's mummy had indeed turned charcoal black. A possible explanation to the charcoal black colour of the mummy is the carbonization reaction between the oils and resins catalyzed by the heat of the tomb. What is more confusing is that the mummy still survives, even after catching fire.

Logically, if the mummy survives, it means that either the fire was serious enough to blacken the mummy but not so hot that the mummy gets reduced to ashes. According to TV reports, the researches believe that the fire burned at 200°C. If the mummy catching fire was not confusing enough, what's more to the mystery will surely blow your minds off.

King Tutankhamen's mummy

When he was buried, King Tut wore a beaded linen cap on a shaved head. Naturally, if his body was burned, the cap should show similar results. Also the king was adorned with bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings, finger-rings made of gold and silver and having precious stones- many of which are at display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Surprisingly, none of them appears to have suffered any fire damage.

Current Sarcophagus (coffin) of King Tutankhamen

What's more? As I stated earlier the King's mummy was placed in three coffins. The innermost was made of solid gold. The central and outer coffins were made of wood. Now according to the theory, the mummy caught fire, which means the innermost coffin of gold was subjected to fire. Yet, the outer two coffins DO NOT show any signs of fire, not even scorch marks.

Take some time to get over that because what is next in this story will make you believe that this mystery is none like any other. The garlands on the mummy, strings of willow and olive, strips of papyrus entwined with lotus petals and a wreath of cornflowers placed on his head were delicate and dried, not at all shriveled by the heat of the fire that occurred. If the mummy (and thus the coffin) really caught fire, wouldn't the garlands and the wreath also be burnt by the heat of gold?

For those who do not believe in the mystery of King Tut's coffin believe that it was just 'a hasty burial'. Whatever might be the case, King Tut continues to guard the mystery of his death and his afterlife in the tomb for centuries now. And it seems that he will continue to do so for many more centuries to come.

The mask of King Tutankhamen's mummy

Well that was really baffling. However, it has to be believed that there are certain mysteries that demand explanation but one cannot truly explain them. With that remark, I'd like to conclude this post. We are almost halfway through April and the next post will be published on April 15. And this year, the 15th of April marks the 103rd anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, which will be the subject of discussion. For now, please drop in your reviews/suggestions in comments below and I shall meet you next time. Bye! :)

Source and Credit-

National Geographic Channel

Image Credit-

Washington Post

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