“The Story of Tutankhamun” is taken from the writings of Dr. David P. Silverman, exhibition curator, and the text of Dr. Zahi Hawass, as printed in Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, the companion book to the exhibition.	The Story of King Tut Tutankhamun’s Military Role
		Tutankhamun was the last of a line founded by warrior pharaohs. The empire built by his forefathers had enjoyed stability and relative peace for many years. But during Akhenaten’s time, the situation in the Near East changed dramatically. Egypt’s Enemies The Hittites, one of the six great kingdoms of the ancient Near East, managed to take Egypt’s northernmost territories during Akhenaten’s time. Wall scenes in the tomb of General Horemheb hint at military conflict during the reign of Tutankhamun, with the three principal enemies indicated as the Nubians, the Hittites, and the Libyans. Tut as Head of the Army To resolve these problems, the pharaoh traditionally would have led the army in battle, but scholars disagree about whether Tutankhamun himself marched or if Horemheb went in his stead. Some scholars have suggested that perhaps Tutankhamun was not physically strong enough to perform his duties. He was buried with 130 walking sticks and staffs of various sorts, some ritual and some clearly used in life. He is also shown sitting while engaged in activities such as hunting, where normally he should be standing. However, fragmentary battle scenes from Thebes suggest that the young king did in fact lead the Egyptian troops into at least one major confrontation. A Warrior’s Training Whether or not Tutankhamun actually went into battle, he was trained from youth to be a warrior. Six chariots were found in his tomb, at least one of which was a lightweight training or hunting vehicle. A pharaoh’s weapon of choice was the bow, and Tutankhamun was buried with almost fifty bows of various types and sizes, many of them showing signs of use. Whatever the reality of Tutankhamun’s experience in battle, clearly the message portrayed repeatedly on all tomb objects was that the king was victorious over all enemies—an essential part of the royal propaganda. Continue to Tutankhamun's Religious Role. >>