Tutankhamen : The Life and Death of the Boy-King

Rating:
Summary: a good story that could be better told
Review: Christine el Mahdy obviously has a fascinating take on the life of Tutankhamen, with what are apparently new and very interesting theories about his parentage, his life and death, the cultural and political life of his time, and his entombment.

However, while she criticises other archeologists, past and present, for jumping to conclusions, making unwarranted assumptions, and cutting data to fit the shape of their expectations, her writing invites her readers to conclude that she's done the same thing herself. It's one thing to say that evidence "suggests" a conclusion, and it's something else again to present such a conclusion as a fact, as El Mahdy often does in writing of her own findings. The problem, as el Mahdy repeatedly says, is that we don't KNOW--we can only infer based on evidence, and I could wish she's taken this precept to heart in presenting her own conclusions, which would appear to be more serious if she had presented them more judiciously.

I also found this book an irritating read, because it is full of repetition as well as typographical (1959 for 1859) and editorial (it's for its, everyone...their) errors. Can't help but feel that a month or so under the pencil of a good editor would have given the book a much cleaner shape and a good deal more pace and excitement.

El Mahdy's not to blame for the failings of her publishers, though, and it is a good story, once you get to it.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, a realistic look at King Tut
Review: Christine El Mahdy's wonderful biography finally presents to the general public what really happened to King Tutankhamen (information that Egyptologists have probably known for years, but may have alluded the rest of us). She presents to us all the hard evidence so far uncovered by Archeologists (including the famous Howard Carter) and then makes inferences based on that evidence. By doing so, she allows the reader to examine the evidence along with her, and in the end she presents a clear chain of events based on that evidence that makes perfect and complete sense.

Most of the book is actually devoted to what happened before King Tut came to power, mainly the interesting lives of the monarchs of the infamous Eighteenth Dynasty (such as Ankhetaten and Nefertiti). Before you ask yourself "what does this have to do with Tut?" it all comes together in the end. By doing so, El Mahdy sets the stage and political environment under which Tut came to power.

After completing this book, you will feel satisfied knowing what happened (or what most likely happened) to the young king that has captured our imaginations since his tomb was discovered by Carter in 1922. In fact, you'll be surprised to learn that his tomb was pretty mediocre according Ancient Egypt standards, but is the most famous since it is the only Egyptian tomb to remain virtually intact through the modern age. My only complaint about this book is that it didn't have more pictures of the tomb and its contents. El Mahdy's descriptions made me want to see them for myself!

Rating:
Summary: A Book to Make You Think
Review: Since the finding of the tomb of the boy King by Howard Carter much has been written about Tutankhamen, most of it complete rubbish regarding tomb curses and other mumbo jumbo. This book takes a serious look at the subject, sometimes from a different angle to the conventional academic theories, so far put forth. For anyone interested in the subject of Tutankhamen, or in Egyptology in general this book is a good read. If you do not agree with the theories put forth by the author so be it, but that is not a good reason for avoiding reading the book. Much of the ancient past is there to debate, because much of it is based on opinion, educated opinion yes, but after all none of us were there to confirm or deny it. This book stimulates the mind and that cannot be a bad thing.

Rating:
Summary: a good story that could be better told
Review: The writer of this book is a Christine Mahdy who taught herself to read Egyptian inscriptions at an early age and has worked cataloguing material found in at archeological sights. Part of the book is to explain how we have come to know Egyptian history. It would seem that our histories of Egypt are very much based not on narratives of the past as with Roman or Greek history but rather with reconstruction based on inscriptions placed on public monuments.

With major historical figures it is possible to work out a chronology of their reigns and their achievements and failures. This process is a bit hit and miss as it depends on what are in reality a series of propaganda statements by government figures to establish what has happened. There are a number of instances that show the danger of the method. The Pharaoh Ramasses the second fought a large battle against the Hittites at Kadesh. His records show that this was an enormous victory. The fact that after the victory he immediately retreated has raised some questions about what happened and in fact it would seem that the battle was a Hittite victory.

The subject of this book is the reign of Tutankahamen a Pharaoh in respects insignificant except for one thing. That thing being that his tomb was discovered almost complete. The fact that Tutankahamen was a non-entity being one of the main reasons that his tomb remained undiscovered till 1922.

The reason for Tutankahamen's obscurity was that one of his successors Horemheb tried to remove him from history. Horemheb removed all references to Tutankahmen from temples and public buildings and also tried to destroy the memory of his predecessors Akenaten and Smenkhkare.

In the past it has been thought the reason for this related to a religious conflict. Akenaten introduced a new religion to Egypt based on the worship of the Sun. He called his new got "Aten" and he founded a city in central Egypt dedicated to the service of that god. It was believed that religious conservatives reacted against this new cult after Akenaten's death by reintoducing the worship of Amen and by removing all reference to the royal family who had introduced the new god.

This book is fascinating as it shows in some detail how we have come to understand Egyptian history. What is shows is that generally stories have been made up based on almost no evidence at all. Previous historians developed a theory of the reign of Arkenaten which suggested that not only did he set up a monotheistic religion but in later life he sent his wife away and lived in an open homosexual relationship with his successor Smenkhkare. The reason for this theory would seem to be some ambiguous wall paintings and nothing else. There would appear to be no real evidence that Arkenaten attempted to suppress or to close down the temples of other gods.

Mahdy suggests that the reason for the hatred of Arkenaten was that he was not a competent ruler and that he did not respond to a foreign threat from the Hittites. In fact it is normal in situations in which "legitimate" rulers are overthrown to blacken their name to justify what has happened. In English history one only has to think of the attacks on the reputation of such kinds as Richard the second, Henry the sixth and Richard the third. Mahdy suggests that the theories Arkenaten trying to introduce a system of monotheistic belief arose not from any real evidence but from the desires of early archeologists who were Christian to see a system of religious belief which would appeal to their prejudices.

All this is rather interesting and it shows how shaky is our understanding of a period of history which is ancient and in which we have limited sources. Mahdy then goes on to speculate another theory of the reign which unfortunately like the theories she attacks is just as shaky.". Her theories seem to have created some interest as there is an investigation being carried out of the DNA of Tutakanhamen's body.

The book is readable and an insight into how sketchy is some of our knowledge of the past. The fault with the book is that the theories of the author seem to be not very much more substantial from those she seeks to replace.

Rating:
Summary: Yes, but . . .
Review: There are many good points about El Mahdy's book. It demonstrates clearly, for the non-specialist, the importance of going back to primary sources when examining historical/archaeological issues, and the need always to employ a sceptical eye and a hefty dose of common sense. It also explains matters in a way that makes them very accessible to the non-specialist. Though I can't speak for the accuracy of the evidence she presents and her conclusions, being a non-specialist myself, in the first three quarters of the book which deal with the "Armarna Period" her material was presented clearly and understandably, and seemed reasonable for the most part. However, I found her examination of Tutankhamen's life in the final part of the book much harder to swallow. It was very rushed and seemed to jump to an awful lot of conclusions.
One final quibble: I am sick to death of authors telling us about their childhood in what so often appears to be an attempt to claim some extra authority in their particular field. El Mahdy has always loved Egypt, taught herself to read hieroglyphs as a child, and decided at the age of ten she was going to be an Egyptologist? So what? What counts is her academic achievements, not her childhood quirks.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Read for Non-Specialists
Review: This is a history of one dynasty of ancient Egypt, perhaps the most famous one. No professional competence is required to follow El Mahdy's arguments and conclusions regarding the fate of Tutankhamen. The text is clear, lucid and reads like a detective story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rating:
Summary: Not Just Tutankhamen!
Review: When twenty years ago the unprecedented exhibit of artifacts from King Tutankhamen's tomb was shown around America, they caused a sensation wherever they went. When it came to the importance of Tutankhamen, however, the exhibit sparked another round of dismissiveness about the boy king (who just happened to leave a terrific tomb) compared to his predecessor Akhenaten, who was regarded by western Egyptologists as a bit of a hero. It was Akhenaten who struck a blow for monotheism, banishing the strange gods with insect and crocodilian bodies in favor of the one sun god Aten. He was a figure compared to Moses or Jesus, but it was said that his heresy terrified the people and threatened the powerful priesthood, which forced him out of Luxor into a new city he could devote to his peculiar ideas. Upon his death, the boy king Tutankhamen came to power (or his handlers did), and caused a reversion to the old ways.

Christine El Mahdi has another tale to tell in _Tutankhamen: The Life and Death of the Boy King_ (St. Martin's Press), a revision of the lives of the pharaohs that shows how fashions, even in such arcane studies as Egyptology, change over time. Akhenaten, in her view, was not the monotheistic hero pictured by the Egyptologists of the last century. The old view was sparked by Tutankhamen's successor Horemheb, a conservative military man who hated Akhenaten, but not Aten. The attestations of Akhenaten's monotheistic "heresy" were most vividly not from his successors, but from the nineteenth century "gentlemen archeologists" who were in Egypt as part of their Grand Tours, perhaps as preparation for entering the church. Ancient Egyptians were seen as those who had enslaved the Jews, and who had the worst sort of animal-worshipping polytheism. Their interpretation of Horemheb's denigration of Akhenaten (which seems to have been political) was that there was a revulsion against monotheism just as there had been reviling of the true religion by those other pagans, the Romans.

El Mahdi's title is simply too limited. This is not just the story of Tutankhamen, but of the pharaohs who came before and after him. It is a survey of the religious beliefs of their societies. It is the story of Carter, Carnarvon, and of Egyptology in general, and how subjectivity influences even academic research. It is a wonderful book for readers who want to find out more about the reality of a time that has always inspired enormous curiosity. El Mahdi's enthusiastic and clear writing and broad view of history ensure that even those addicted to the wilder ideas of Egyptology should enjoy this guided tour of evidence and common sense.

Rating:
Summary: Not Just Tutankhamen!
Review: When twenty years ago the unprecedented exhibit of artifacts from King Tutankhamen's tomb was shown around America, they caused a sensation wherever they went. When it came to the importance of Tutankhamen, however, the exhibit sparked another round of dismissiveness about the boy king (who just happened to leave a terrific tomb) compared to his predecessor Akhenaten, who was regarded by western Egyptologists as a bit of a hero. It was Akhenaten who struck a blow for monotheism, banishing the strange gods with insect and crocodilian bodies in favor of the one sun god Aten. He was a figure compared to Moses or Jesus, but it was said that his heresy terrified the people and threatened the powerful priesthood, which forced him out of Luxor into a new city he could devote to his peculiar ideas. Upon his death, the boy king Tutankhamen came to power (or his handlers did), and caused a reversion to the old ways.

Christine El Mahdi has another tale to tell in _Tutankhamen: The Life and Death of the Boy King_ (St. Martin's Press), a revision of the lives of the pharaohs that shows how fashions, even in such arcane studies as Egyptology, change over time. Akhenaten, in her view, was not the monotheistic hero pictured by the Egyptologists of the last century. The old view was sparked by Tutankhamen's successor Horemheb, a conservative military man who hated Akhenaten, but not Aten. The attestations of Akhenaten's monotheistic "heresy" were most vividly not from his successors, but from the nineteenth century "gentlemen archeologists" who were in Egypt as part of their Grand Tours, perhaps as preparation for entering the church. Ancient Egyptians were seen as those who had enslaved the Jews, and who had the worst sort of animal-worshipping polytheism. Their interpretation of Horemheb's denigration of Akhenaten (which seems to have been political) was that there was a revulsion against monotheism just as there had been reviling of the true religion by those other pagans, the Romans.

El Mahdi's title is simply too limited. This is not just the story of Tutankhamen, but of the pharaohs who came before and after him. It is a survey of the religious beliefs of their societies. It is the story of Carter, Carnarvon, and of Egyptology in general, and how subjectivity influences even academic research. It is a wonderful book for readers who want to find out more about the reality of a time that has always inspired enormous curiosity. El Mahdi's enthusiastic and clear writing and broad view of history ensure that even those addicted to the wilder ideas of Egyptology should enjoy this guided tour of evidence and common sense.