Practice questions. 

Question: What does Tutankhamun’s tomb reveal about Royal death and burial customs in the New Kingdom? Refer to source A and your own knowledge. 

Topics to cover

Outline Egyptian concept of the Royal Afterlife> transformation into being fully divine> Joining the Gods in the Duat

Tomb is a resurrection machine and a house for eternity. Everything in belief and custom is for achieving and sustaining a person in the eternity, Bural custom, belief and practice became more complex over time

1. Outline concept of Royal afterlife

Need for mummification, preservation of the body and spells to give it the power to revive > explain Ka> need for sustenance.

2. Help get the King to the afterlife> magic within the tomb (wall paintings and texts) > spells on funerary shrines> amulets

3. Contents of the Tomb have 2 main purposes> magic to propel the King into the afterlife and Provisioning

Provisioning>  physical and emotional needs in afterlife

Physical: food and drink, clothing and furniture

Mental; Family, favourite activities and past times> babies and Ankhenenamun, hobbies> hunting and chariots

In more detail...

NK Royal funerary practice>Egyptian believed in an afterlife. Burial customs belief focussed on achieving the afterlife and sustaining themselves in their eternity.  Osirian funerals> to achieve afterlife like Osiris> explain myth and how NK royal funeral were Osirian in nature> re-enacted the myth in order to achieve the same outcome> Opening of the mouth>refer to evidence form the tomb>  Tut marked move back to traditional practises>tomb paintings>book of Gates>link to the journey of the sun. 12 hours of the night> at each hour Pharoah must overcome challenges with the help of the Gods in the Netherworld, to be reborn with the Sun at dawn>  Transition into being divine and joining the gods. 

Mummification > physical process and ritual> 70 day, (40 physical process to preserve the body, 30 days spells, wrapping, amulets, Embalmers wear Anubis mask>God of Mummification) Link to objects in the Tomb. Tut's mummfication details> what is normal and what isn't. 

Tomb design> not normal for Dyn 18 or 19.  Reveal knowledge>Tomb is a resurrection machine. Rushed  burial> rushed tomb and borrowed equipment. It is thought normal  curved tomb design of Dyn 18 signified a decent into the Amduat. (Netherworld) 

Funerary equipment> 2 purposes> help achieve the afterlife (mummification, funeral, spells, paintings, amulets) or sustain you when you get there (furniture, clothing, food and drink, entertainments, family, shabti) Reveal knowledge about tomb contents>different rooms. What does it reveal about Tut's tomb reveal about his desired afterlife? (Hard to judge what is normal because all other royal burials had been robbed.) Certainly family, Ankhesenamun, chariots, hunting, being a King feature heavily.   It was normal to emphasise him doing the normal role of a King> warrior king, priest, wearing crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt> This makes him acceptable to the gods. Providing Maat. 

Using Source D and your own knowledge, assess what the evidence found in Tutankhamun's Tomb, reveals about the significance of his reign. 

Here are some ideas> Assessing the Significance of Tutankhamun’s Reign

Religious Significance:

• Restoration of Amun Worship: Tutankhamun's decision to abandon Atenism and reinstate the cult of Amun helped reunify Egypt spiritually. He demonstrated this by changing his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun as a public statement of religious restoration and moving the capital from Akhetaten back to Thebes. Restoration stele. Restored relationship between Amun Cult and the ruling family.  

• Traditional Burial Practices: The careful preservation of his body and the inclusion of hundreds of religious artifacts reflect the reinstated belief in the afterlife, reinforcing the pharaoh’s divine connection to the gods.> reinstatement of normal royal burial practices. 

Political Significance:

• A Figurehead for Stability: As a young king, Tutankhamun's reign helped stabilize Egypt after the upheaval of Akhenaten’s rule. Mended relationships with cults, elite groups and the people. 

• International Relations: Although evidence of military activity is limited, items like weapons and chariots in his tomb show he performed his role as a normal warrior king, although there is limited evidence for campaigns it is not impossible. He represents it many times in his tomb.

Personal and Familial Significance:

• Dynastic Continuity: Tutankhamun’s marriage to Ankhesenamun, likely his half-sister, was an attempt to preserve the royal bloodline  and reinforce his claim to the throne. 

• Child Loss and Dynastic Decline: The discovery of two mummified stillborn daughters in his tomb highlights the fragility of the royal lineage. His lack of a surviving heir contributed to the eventual extinction of the Thutmosid line and the power struggle that followed his death.

• Genetic Legacy and Health Insights: Modern DNA analysis of his mummy has revealed he suffered from genetic disorders and malaria. His physical vulnerabilities, included a clubfoot, challenging the traditional image of the pharaoh as an invincible ruler and humanize him as a young king who ruled under immense pressure.

Can you think of some evidence from his tomb that would support your discussion of these key ideas? Where would the source fit in? Plan your response including the evidence from the tomb that you would use to support your answer. 

Other questions

What does the evidence found in Tutankhamen's Tomb reveal about the role of the pharaoh during the New Kingdom? 

What do the contents of Tutankhamun's Tomb reveal about New Kingdom Royal Burial custom?

Assess the significance of the reign of Tutankhamun? 

What do the contents of Tutankhamun's Tomb reveal his life and legacy? 

What does the forensic evidence reveal about the cause of death of Tutankhamun? 

Assess two main theories for the cause of death of Tutankhamun? 

Practice Question:                                                                                      15 marks (30 minutes) 

Using Source A and your own knowledge: "What does the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb reveal about death and burial custom in the New Kingdom?"

This question encourages students to explore:

• Burial practices and the concept of the afterlife. 

• Osirian funerals and rituals, spells and magic, > Afterlife beliefs> Funerary texts> 12 hours of the night (Book of Gates) amulets, Ka Statues, provisioning (food and goods), mummification, funerary equipment, family, entertainment and hobbies. 

• May mention> unusual aspects of wall paintings> rush to hurry Tut> limited range of paintings. Tomb design,  Modified burial equipment. Still trying to achieve traditional burial and afterlife.

• https://thebanmappingproject.com/articles/funerary-compositions 

• The role of pharaohs, divine kingship> transition to a god after death. Im portance of the Opening of the mouth>transition of Kingship

• The tomb’s historical significance and how its discovery furthered understanding of ancient Egyptian royal burial custom and belief.

Sample Intro>Tutankhamun’s tomb provides valuable insight into New Kingdom royal burial customs, emphasizing the importance of achieving the afterlife through creating a house for eternity and resurrection machine, preservation of the body, provisioning for the journey, and ensuring resurrection and sustenance in eternity. The elaborate mummification process, vast array of grave goods, and use of magic in tomb decorations and design reflect the Egyptians' determination in securing the pharaoh’s immortality.