There is an abelist narrative that egyptologists buy into and perpetuate in the literature. The fact of the matter is, we know that he came to the throne as a child. And by the time he's 15 or 16, he's a mature adult. We should ascribe some potential agency to that. i have read many times of this weak and feeble child king hobbling across the sand," says Christina christinerix.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the discovery in 1922 of Tutankhamun's 3000 year old tomb and its impact on the understanding of ancient Egypt, both academic and popular. The riches, such as the death mask above, were spectacular and made the reputation of Howard Carter who led the excavation. And if the astonishing contents of the tomb were not enough, the drama of the find and the control of how it was reported led to a craze for 'King Tut' that has rarely subsided and has enthused and sometimes confused people around the world, seeking to understand the reality of Tutankhamun's life and times.
With
Elizabeth Frood
Associate Professor of Egyptology, Director of the Griffith Institute and Fellow of St Cross at the University of Oxford
Christina Riggs
Professor of the History of Visual Culture at Durham University and a Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford
And
John Taylor
Curator at the Department of Egypt and Sudan at the British Museum
Producer: Simon Tillotson