Reconstruction

We don’t know as much about Tutankhamun as we would like. An ancient Egyptian king reigned no more than ten years, beginning his reign at the age of 8 or 9.

We’ve already seen his face recreated based on remains found around the time of his death in November 1922. But the new study focused on what King Tut looked like in his childhood. Scientists took into account not only the breast, but also information about health, features of the climate at that time, cultural traditions and even gene analysis.

So what did Pharaoh Tut really look like? This question has intrigued archaeologists since the discovery of his tomb, but it largely depends on what diseases he had.

• According to DNA analysis conducted in 2010 and anti-malarial drugs found in the grave, he most likely had malaria. Scientists later found various types of this disease in the mummy’s tissues, so the young ruler most likely felt very unwell in the last days of his life. Before humanity discovered a cure for this disease, it could be fatal much more often than it is today. However, we do not yet know whether he died of the disease or not. After all, other versions say he may have been murdered.
• There are also fracture marks on his body, probably from a fall. The broken bone in his left leg had become infected and, along with malaria, could have been fatal for the 19-year-old. This contradicts the story that he was helpless and crippled in his final days; At least the king was active enough to be injured. According to one version, he may have fallen out of the car while hunting. The time of death was determined quite easily: a wreath of blooming cornflowers and daisies was found on the mummy’s head. Flowering periods coincide with March-April, and since the mummification process takes 70 days, death must have occurred in December-January. By this time the hunting season was in full swing.

We also know that ancient paintings sometimes show Tutankhamun sitting rather than standing during certain activities, such as hunting. Therefore, it is difficult to say how serious his condition is.

So what do we know about what he looked like?

• We know that he is about 165 centimeters tall and quite thin.
• Tut’s bite was wrong with crooked teeth.
• Pharaoh was very weak throughout his life.
• The head was shaved during burial.

We don’t have many photos of King Tut since his reign was short, but they all look surprisingly similar. Most researchers agree that we should look at the accuracy of the sculptures made by his contemporaries. Because the tissues are reduced by approximately 50%, reconstruction directly from the mummy is unwise and inaccurate. At the same time, the funeral mask is called the best image.

Royalty Now Studios researchers zeroed in on the famous funerary mask, as well as a small figurine that researchers call a “filler.” This statue was made to depict the pharaoh as a child emerging from a lotus flower.

Reconstruction of Tutankhamun’s face / 24 Channel screenshot from Royalty Now video

Reconstruction of Tutankhamun’s face / 24 Channel screenshot from Royalty Now video

Reconstruction of Tutankhamun’s face / 24 Channel screenshot from Royalty Now video

We don’t know exactly what Tutankhamun’s skin color or eye color was. Based on his genome and skeleton, it can be assumed that he is North African. Today, North Africans represent a wide range of skin tones and hair textures. So researchers tried to find a middle ground to approximate the most likely view. But they emphasize that this is the only possible option.

See the full issue on the reconstruction of Baby Tutankhamun’s face. You can see the animated version with the moving face at minute 14: video