The Complete Tutankhamun by Nicholas Reeves
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The Complete Tutankhamun
100 Years of Discovery
by Nicholas Reeves
Thames & Hudson 2023
The centennial anniversary of the discovery of his tomb has seen a small surge of new books about Tutankhamun, the discovery of the tomb, and Ancient Egypt. The Complete Tutankhamun by Nicholas Reeves, in contrast, is an updated blast from the past. First published in 1990, the book now has a new edition that includes much of the latest research on Tutankhamun. Overall, The Complete Tutankhamun is a good introduction and overview of Tutankhamun studies.
Bookended by a short introduction and longer, speculative, epilogue, The Complete Tutankhamun is composed of six parts. The first part is an overview of Ancient Egypt and Tutankhamun. The second part is about the search for the lost tomb of Tutankhamun. The third part is about the discovery of KV 62, the tomb of Tutankhamun. The fourth part is about the archeology of the tomb. The fifth part focuses on the burial and body of Tutankhamun. The sixth and final part explores the plethora of grave goods buried with Tutankhamun. The individual chapters, or sections, are, for the most part, short and to the point. By far the longest individual part of the book is the sixth part.
The Complete Tutankhamun is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of illustrations. These illustrations range from archival photos to more recent photos of grave goods and the paintings by both Howard and his brother William Carter. The portraits of Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter by William Carter are especially fine inclusions. The watercolors of the Valley of the Kings by Howard Carter are also quite nice. And, of course, many of the photos of the grave goods are amazing.
One of the most fascinating discussions takes place during the section about the foodstuffs buried with Tutankhamun. The discussion turns to the insect infestation that followed. Spiders followed the insects into the tomb. This discussion concludes with the lament that few remnants of the spiders remain except some webs, echoing the lack of spiders in Egyptian iconography and literature.
More fascinating is the extended discussion of the tomb itself. It has long been known that Tutankhamun’s early death resulted in a rushed burial. But a core argument of the overall narrative in the book is that rather than an appropriated private tomb in the Valley of the Kings, the tomb in which Tutankhamun was ultimately interred was a tomb meant for a queen. Furthermore, many of Tutankhamun’s grave goods were carryovers from his predecessors.
The question of whose tomb Tutankhamun inhabited for over three thousand years is one of the most fascinating parts of the book. Reeves argues that Tutankhamun was likely placed within the tomb of Nefertiti herself. The case for Tutankhamun’s partial usurpation of his predecessor’s (if one agrees with the likely contention that Nefertiti was Neferneferaten and Smenkare) is a compelling one. Unfortunately, the amount of text devoted to Nefertiti leads one to suspect that Reeves wishes to write The Complete Nefertiti at some point in the future.
The question of Tutankhamun’s mother is another interesting topic covered by the book. Recent aDNA testing indicates that Tutankhamun’s mother was closely related to Akhenaten, either a full sister or (as Reeves posists) a daughter. Unfortunately, Reeves does not go into too much detail as to the arguments over the reliability of aDNA testing.
Another interesting argument in The Complete Tutankhamun is Reeves’s supposition that it was Nefertiti, trying to hold onto power as Smenkare, who approached the Hittite king Suppiluliuma I with the proposal of a marriage alliance rather than the more traditional belief that it was Tutankhamun’s queen Ankhenesamun.
The Complete Tutankhamun is not a perfect book. That said, The Complete Tutankhamun is always fascinating and engrossing. This is one of the better books to come out for the centennial anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun (and maybe Nefertiti).
James Holder holds a BA in English Literature. He lives in Texas.