The Complete Tutankhamun by Nicholas Reeves

It is rare for an Egyptology book to remain in print for more than thirty years, but The Complete Tutankhamun, published in 1990, has been an invaluable research source for more than three decades. It is the go-to reference for information such as how many servant statues were buried with Tutankhamun or the meaning of the hieroglyphs on the west wall of the burial chamber. Now there is a revised and greatly enlarged new edition, with more than 600 photos, high quality paper, extensive color, and long introductory essays by the author. This handsome volume will be welcomed both by Egyptologists and the layman as there has been much new, interdisciplinary research done on Tutankhamun, the tomb, and the artifacts that the boy-king hoped to take with him to the next world.The long introductory essays at the beginning of the book are a well-written account of the discovery of the tomb, the political turmoil surrounding the excavation, Lord Carnarvon’s death, and more. It is a fascinating story well told, but this is not where we see the results of current research. In the last decade or two, new techniques have provided insights into Tutankhamun’s life and times. The mummy has now been CT-scanned, giving a far more detailed picture of the young pharaoh and dispelling erroneous theories, such as the possible blow to the back of Tutankhamun’s head suggested by old X-rays. This gave rise to the theory that he may have been murdered.1 The more detailed CT-scans clearly have shown that there was no such injury and have also given rise new theories about the boy-king, such as that Tutankhamun may have had a clubbed foot.2 Though this theory is far from certain, it is new.Reeves gives an interesting account of another modern scanning technique that has given rise to his theory that Queen Nefertiti is buried behind one of the tomb’s walls. Because many of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings are in danger of deteriorating due to moisture introduced by perspiring tourists, many of the walls have been laser scanned so that replica tombs may be constructed for visiting tourists. Reeves, a thorough researcher, obtained the original scans, in which he saw what looked like faint traces of a doorway behind the north wall’s painted surface.3 Reeves is convinced that Nefertiti, Tutankhamun’s stepmother, is buried behind the wall. This, of course, would be an incredibly important discovery and has attracted a great deal of attention. Indeed, three different radar scans have been conducted to see what is behind the wall. Only the first one—the most hastily done—claimed to have found evidence of a void behind the wall. When National Geographic was considering filming a documentary on the theory, they commissioned their own scan of the tomb, which convinced them that there was nothing behind the wall and led to the cancellation of the documentary. Another later scan produced the same results.Yet Reeves is confident that Nefertiti’s burial is behind the wall, and he presents considerable art-historical evidence to support his theory. He believes that the north wall of the burial chamber, the one most extensively decorated with funerary scenes, was originally painted for Nefertiti and later altered for Tutankhamun. He points to facial features of what was believed to be Tutankhamun and suggests that they are more appropriate for Nefertiti. If he is correct, the scene of what is generally believed to be Tutankhamun’s successor, Aye, performing the opening of the mouth ceremony on Tutankhamun, is really being performed on Nefertiti. He also points out that the cartouches have been repainted, which is undoubtedly true, and suggests that they once held Nefertiti’s name. Changes were often made on tomb walls as they were being painted, to make them artistically more pleasing, which may be the reason for the alterations to the cartouches. Still, Reeves new theory, initiated by the high-tech scans, is a fascinating one that has everyone talking.The construction of Egypt’s new Grand Egyptian Museum has been a great impetus for new interdisciplinary work on the Tutankhamun collection. In moving all the Tutankhamun objects out of their old display cases to the new museum, researchers from many disciplines were able to handle and examine objects that had been locked away for decades. For example, leather experts such as Veldmeijer have been able to study the many pairs of sandals and shoes that were buried in the tomb. Interestingly, they showed no signs of the uneven wear that one might expect if Tutankhamun had a clubbed foot and walked on the side of his foot as had been suggested.Another leather item that has received new attention is a suit of armor that was buried with Tutankhamun. Recent inspection has shown that the armor, made of leather scales sewn together, showed signs of wear, indicating that Tutankhamun may actually have gone into battle. Furthermore, Reeves describes all the arrows, shields, chariots, and other paraphernalia of war found in the tomb. With new research comes a new image of Tutankhamun.Modern forensic facial reconstruction has also been applied to Tutankhamun, but Reeves rightly gives it only a page (291). It is far from convincing; there have been three different facial reconstructions of Tutankhamun and none of the three looks like the other two. One wonders why the studies were done at all—we have plenty of likenesses of Tutankhamun from the statuary found in the tomb, including the famous guardian statues, the gold mask, the wooden head of the pharaoh coming out of a lotus flower, and more.Another questionable application of modern research techniques is the recent dna study of Tutankhamun from which a family tree was constructed.4 The problem here is that it is extremely difficult to sequence ancient dna, and it is standard practice to give a sample to a second, independent laboratory for confirmation of the findings. However, the Egyptian authorities are not willing to supply a sample to any laboratory outside Egypt for confirmation. Consequently, we cannot be sure of these initial findings.On the other hand, modern research on the wood furniture in Tutankhamun’s tomb has been extremely successful. A team of Japanese and Egyptian specialists has identified more than a dozen types of wood used, including oak, birch, fir, almond, and willow. In addition, by studying the tree rings, they were able to determine if a particular piece of furniture was made from the same tree or from several.Meteoriticists have also been studying Tutankhamun’s treasures. Reeves points out that several iron objects were found in the tomb; in the time of Tutankhamun, Egypt had copper and bronze, but not iron. Thus, any iron objects in the tomb were considered very special. The most famous of these iron objects is a gold dagger with an iron blade and rock crystal pommel. Reeves points out that a similar dagger with an iron blade was given to Tutankhamen’s grandfather, Amenhotep III, by the king of Mittani, hinting that this dagger was also a gift. Another possibility is that the dagger was made from a meteorite, known to the Egyptians as bia em pet (“iron from the sky”). Recent studies have shown that the blade is definitely meteoritic, and, although there was an attempt to find the source of the meteoritic iron, the origin of the iron blade remains a mystery.5The iron dagger is famous and has been photographed many times, but other iron objects in the tomb have received little attention, even among Egyptologists. Reeves shows a set of chisels with iron blades that present a real mystery. They do not look like royal tools. The handles are simple, unadorned wood, but the blades are iron, so they must have been very special. Were they actually used and left behind by a craftsman? Why use precious iron in such simple tools?Reeves’ book presents a dazzling array of objects and research techniques. He did not intend The Complete Tutankhamun to serve as an example of interdisciplinary research. Indeed, for the most part, Tutankhamun researchers in various disciplines have not worked together or even communicated with each other. Yet, as the book shows, great progress has been made in Tutankhamun studies without the coordination of the various disciplines.The author has created a beautiful compendium that will be used by researchers in many disciplines for years to come, but I have one quibble with the book. The Index and Bibliography are far from user-friendly. The typeface is too small and the entries are not listed, but rather are run together in paragraphs. Still, we should be thankful for this wonderful gift from the Nile that sheds new light on the enigmatic Tutankhamun and his world.