Tutankhamun's_Tomb

Explain what the contents of Tutankhamun's tomb demonstrate the role of the king in New Kingdom Egypt. In the New Kingdom, the pharaoh was central to Egyptian life and culture therefore the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings was siginificant for understanding the New Kingdom of Egypt. As the living incarnation of Horus, the King played a significant role maintaining ma'at in the New Kingdom. Hennessey suggests that the King can be seen as an "all conquering Egyptian king" whom fulfilled the role of hunter, administrator, warrior and mediator with gods. Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 provides some insight into the role of king in New Kingdom Egypt. Prior to the discovery little was known about Tutankhamun, he was associated with the end of Atenism and the reign of Amun however little was known about his role as Pharaoh. The contents of his tomb such as the artefacts, decoration and Tutankhamun's mummified body identify with his role as ruler in the New Kingdom. Historians consider that Tutankhamun, like other New Kingdom Kings, had to perform 4 main duties in order to maintain order in Egypt. These duties include the King as hunter, administrator, warrior and mediator with the gods. Various contents found in the tomb provided evidence for his role as King in these four duties. There is however no evidence in the tomb for Tutankhamen's role as builder however this role has been identified in the tombs of other pharaoh's at this time. The king displayed himself as a fearless hunter to represent the maintained ma'at and conquest of chaos, this emphasised his strength as a king. The Golden Fan that was found in the Burial Chamber provides evidence for his role as hunter, imprinted on each face of the palm of the fan are scenes of the king hunting ostriches. To further this there is an inscription on the handle of the fan states "ostrich feathers obtained by His Majesty when hunting in the desert east of Heliopolis." Another piece of evidence that was found in the tomb was the Wooden War Chest in which Carter's description seems to glorify the object, "the paintings on the casket's lid are wonderfully spirited. Here we have hunting scenes full of the sense of speed and movement." The wooden chest depicts various hunting scenes and on the end of the box the king is represented in lion form, conquering enemies. In this way it can be seen that there is quite a substantial amount of evidence to show Tutankhamun's role as king and the contents of his tomb prove this. Scenes of war are present in many artefacts in the tomb and display him as being victorious over all enemies, which was an essential part of royal propaganda. The boy-king in this light was glorified as a hunter however some experience is likely as the bows he was buried with show signs of use providing evidence that he had experience. The king's role as administrator was supported by a large bureaucracy and many officials and its main ideal was to provided nourishment and life for the land and its population. There is however limited evidence to show the king as administrator in Tutankhamun's tomb therefore historians have provided supposition to argue his administrative role. The 2 daggers of the king did not use local materials in its construction therefore the native blade implies there is strong trade in Egypt. This trade is a reflection of good administration by Tutankhamun or the bureaucracy supporting his reign. The grain jars also discovered in the tomb shows organisation and administration, this storage of the grain is representative of what will be needed in the afterlife and therefore Tutankhamun is still maintaining this nourishment for the people. Tutankhamun's role as administrator can also be seen in the Golden Throne, each arm of the chair depicts a winged cobra wearing the double crown which contains hieroglyphics for 'Upper and Lower Egypt'. This shows Tutankhamun as a symbol of power and authority and also displays his administrative power. The king's role as warrior was to be the protector of Egypt which was important to the Egyptian people. There is not a huge amount of evidence to prove Tutenkahmun's role as warrior however various contents of the tomb imply that this role was fulfilled in aspects. The Wooden War Chest found in the Antechamber depicts Tutankhamun leading a chariot, Cater states "the king in his chariot, drawn by prancing steeds, gorgeous in their trappings, is pursuing desert". This image glorifies Tutankhamun as a leading figure, leading the chariot as a form of protector. Another artefact that relates to the Pharaoh's role as a warrior is the Military Trumpets found in the Antechamber. Hennessy concludes that the Artefacts were "necessary in battle" and hence aided him as his role as warrior. His name was also inscribed in the trumpets that directly associated him to the artefact. Arguably the most important role of the king in the New Kingdom was being the intermediary between the gods and the people. Traditionally, the pharaoh was the god Horus on earth, son of Osiris, who later became Osiris in the afterlife and his role was to maintain balance between the civilised world and the chaos beyond. There is some evidence in the tomb of Tutankhamun and his role as mediator with the gods however much is related to the fusion of religions at that time. The Golden Throne that was found in the Antechamber depicts Tutankhamun and his wife Nefertiti being touched by the Aten. This shows their elevation position amongst the god and the physical connection the royal family have with the gods. The Golden Coffin found in the Burial Chamber depicts Nekhbet and Wadjit spreading their protective wings over the king. Again this shows his connection with the gods and hence shows his role as meditator. The artefacts found in Tutankhamun's tomb provide some insight into his role as king however the lack of direct evidence means historians make suppositions about what exactly his role was. From the contents in Tutankhamun's tomb it is assumed that the king fulfilled four main roles as Pharaoh which included him as a hunter, warrior, administrator and meditator with the gods. Tutankhamun's tomb reveals that the King was in theory meant to fulfil these main roles but in practice most likely didn't alone. It is evident from exploring the various contents found in the tomb that Tutankhamun fulfilled these roles in order to maintain balance and order within Egypt in the New Kingdom.