Read the Article

I was entertained from the very beginning of the King Tut Exhibit, when the lights went off in the first room and the opening video began. The Egyptian-style doors that lead into the exhibit immediately sparked my interest. Once inside, I noticed the unusual setup of the rooms. It was almost like a giant maze filled with different artifacts on display; I felt like I was actually in a tomb at some points. One of the first displays that caught my attention was the sculpture of King Tut at the age of 9. It was a realistic depiction of him, and I could imagine what he actually looked like when he first became king.

The inclusion of model boats and a chariot-like vehicle was something I didn’t expect to see. These 3 displays stood out from all the other sculptures of people and symbols. They reminded me that tombs held all kinds of items that the king might need in the afterlife, even methods of transportation. Another artifact that impressed me was the sculpture of the head of a bull - one of the few sculptures of animals. There was a beautiful stone powder box that had wild cats on it as well. The glow that the stone gave off when the light hit it was gorgeous. I was amused by the fact that each wild cat had its tongue sticking out for some reason. The box was painted so their small pink tongues were even more evident.

There were many exquisite pieces of Egyptian jewelry in the King Tut Exhibit. They were mostly made of colored beads and string. The necklaces were rather large and seemed as if they would cover the entire top of a person’s chest when worn. The intricate patterns of beading were amazing. A particular piece of jewelry I liked was the Scarab Bracelet. It had a large, bright blue carved scarab in the center on a gold oval. The scarab was attached to rows of string with patterned beads on them. I would certainly wear that bracelet if I could.

I found the stone carvings and sculptures of Egyptian symbols very interesting. There were many symbols of life displayed in the exhibit. Only rulers were allowed to hold such a symbol, which explains why King Tut would have many in his possession. In several sculptures of the King, he is holding one of these symbols. My favorite version of the life symbol was one carved of bright blue stone that was about a foot tall. The size and color made it more interesting than the others. There were other important symbols carved from different colored rocks on display as well as many staffs in different shapes.

I was surprised to learn that King Tut had a wife and was going to have two children. Part of the exhibit had a poster that showed his lineage and DNA. Both of King Tut’s children were stillborn and their fetuses were found in his tomb. The tiny, gold funerary masks made for his children were displayed. However, the faces on these masks were that of adults, not babies. This part of the exhibit also included pictures of the discovered, preserved fetuses.

In the final room of the exhibit, there is a replica of King Tut’s mummified body. Archaeologists chose not to move the actual body out of respect. The replica and pictures displayed in this final room were fascinating. Even after all this time, King Tut’s body is still well preserved, and was not dust and bones—it was a bit eerie. Next to the replica, there was a gold replica of his skull for visitors to touch, since the replica itself is in a case. Posters in the room told of King Tut’s walking disability due to a problem with his left foot. Apparently there were many canes in his tomb because of his disability. The posters also explained the strong belief that King Tut probably died from a severe case of malaria. Strands of the disease were found in the bodies of King Tut and several of his relatives. Seeing the body of King Tut wrapped up the entire exhibit and gave a sense of closure before leaving.