Now the subject of a major museum exhibition, this course charts the life and times of Tutankhamun, from boy to king, and the significance of his burial treasures and the events and culture to which they relate. Topics covered within this course include:

SECTION A:
Tutankhamun - his life and reign

King Tutankhamun was, until the discovery of his magnificent tomb, a fairly insignificant and little known king from the transient times of the 18th Dynasty. Surviving evidence indicates that he succeeded Smenkhkare and was the last of the true line of Amarna pharaohs. He grew up in the royal palace at Akhetaten, but during his reign power was switched away from the city of Akhetaten back to Thebes.

It is very likely that Tutankhamun had very little real power at this time. He grew up and spent his childhood at Akhetaten, where the only worship would have been of the Aten. For this reason he would probably have had little experience of the other traditional gods. It is likely that after the death of Akhenaten, the priesthood would have welcomed a return to the old ways and traditions, and used this opportunity to regain the lands and power they had lost. Tutankhamun would thus have been under very intense pressure from many quarters in order to fulfil the wishes of the priesthood and state.

SECTION B:
The hunt for, and discovery of the tomb

The story of the hunt for the tomb of Tutankhamun is a long and complicated one involving much scientific research, and more than a little luck. Theodore Davis had long sought the tomb of the missing pharaoh, who was mentioned in inscriptions. At one point a small hole was discovered in the Valley of the Kings containing some storage jars and flower garlands. The jars bore the name of Tutankhamun, a clue that perhaps there could still be an intact burial in the royal valley.

In section B we follow the early search for the last remaining tomb, that of Tutankhamun. Carter had a plan of the valley on which he marked all the spoil heaps and cuttings made by previous excavations, he thought it was possible that the missing tomb could lie under the mounds of rubble and stone chippings left behind. The excavations began, and soon some workmen's houses were uncovered, suggesting anything underneath might still be untouched since the tombs in the valley were cut. By an amazing stroke of luck when the first hut was removed a stone step was uncovered, then another, until a flight of steps was cleared, leading down to a sealed door. On this door were the marks of the necropolis guards, and the cartouche of Tutankhamun.

SECTION C:
The treasures of Tutankhamun

Within section C, we look at the principal treasures within the tomb. The burial was not intact when it was found. Howard Carter believed it had been robbed perhaps twice, shortly after the funeral. Only the burial chamber itself was untouched. Most of the small portable items included in the burial had been removed in antiquity. This included much of the jewellery except that found on the mummy itself. The chamber itself was full of treasure however, from the famous funerary mask of Tutankhamun, to the gold inner coffin, both stunning examples of the ancient goldsmith's art. A vast collection of fabulous artefacts, including furniture, all with their own beauty and story to tell, we examine their beauty and construction, usage and significance.

Nefertiti’s infamy comes to the general-public via her portrait bust found in the remains of a royal workshop at Tell el-Amarna, Akhenaten’s new capital. Bizarrely, for such a high profile royal figure virtually nothing exists of Nefertiti’s origins. We know that she supported her husband's religious revolution; appearing prominently at her husband's side in reliefs found at Tell el-Amarna and a faithful follower of his new cult, and is thought by some to have adhered to the new cult of the sun god Aten even after the king’s death. Yet without doubt the most contentious subject of the Amarna Period and the cause for so much heated scholarly debate - how a queen of Nefertiti’s political and religious standing could apparently disappear completely from archaeological records. Topics covered within this course include:

A brief overview of the religious rise to prominence of the solar cult,
The role of Amenhotep III,
Examining the proposed theories of Nefertiti’s origins,
Her foreign descendency,
Family relationships,
Akhenaten’s artistic revolution,
The evolution of Nefertiti’s imagery,
Examining Nefertiti’s religious role at Amarna,
Her prominence at the Hwt-Ben Ben,
The Gem-pa-aten colossi,
Nefertiti’s political role,
Examining her "equal" status to Akhenaten,
Discussing her choice of headwear,
Nefertiti’s sudden disappearance,
Examining previous conspiracy theories that include murder and homosexuality.