The Story of Tutankhamun by Garry Shaw

The Story of Tutankhamun
by Garry J. Shaw
Yale University Press 2023

Since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb a century ago, fascination with the boy king has never abated for long. Periodically, as new information comes out regarding Tutankhamun’s life, death, tomb, grave goods, etc., new spurts of interest appear. The centennial anniversary has seen a number of new books centered on Tutankhamun in one way or another published. The Story of Tutankhamun by Garry J. Shaw is a brief, readable, cautious biography.

The first three chapters of The Story of Tutankhamun contains the brief biography of Tutankhamun. Tutankhamun was likely born the son of Akhenaten and a wife of lower rank than Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife. Recent studies show that Tutankhamun was the product of incest, so his mother was likely to be a surviving sister of Akhenaten. Akhenaten was one of the most consequential and controversial kings Egypt ever had. Tutankhamun did not immediately succeed his father at the end of his disastrous reign. Instead, Nefertiti assumed the kingship for a time as either Neferneferuaten or Smenkhare. With Nefertiti’s death, Tutankhamun succeeded to the throne. Shaw argues that while Akhenaten’s reforms had elite support, that support evaporated with his death. Much of Tutankhamun’s reign, brief as it was, saw the restoration of Egypt’s traditional gods, especially Amun, to their accustomed place in Egyptian society. After a ten year reign, barely enough time for a child who came to the throne at ten to personally rule, Tutankhamun died. 

The next two chapters focus on the burial of Tutankhamun and the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty. As has become apparent to scholars, Tutankhamun’s burial was a disaster. There was not enough time to fully construct his tomb, so a substitute had to be procured. Shaw goes with Aye's tomb being the one used. As the preparations for the burial commenced, Shaw, in agreement with most scholars, argues that Tutankhamun’s half sister and queen, Ankhesenamun, was the Egyptian queen who reached out to the Hittite King Suppiluliuma I to send a son for a marriage alliance. For whatever reason, that did not happen and Aye succeeded to the throne. Aye did reign long and was in course succeeded by Horemheb, a high ranking general and royal official. 

With the reign of Horemheb and the succeeding Nineteenth Dynasty, the Amarna period of Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, and Aye was wiped from history. Tutankhamun’s monuments and achievements were usurped by his successors. And so he faded from history for over three thousand years.

The sixth chapter is the story of the search for and discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. This chapter is a quick overview of the search, discovery, and excavation of the tomb. 

The seventh and final chapter of The Story of Tutankhamun covers the century of fascination and inquiry towards all things Tutankhamun. One of the most fascinating parts of this chapter is the revelation that Tutankhamun’s body was dismembered as it was removed from the tomb for examination. It is also a surprising fact that Tutankhamun’s body was left in his tomb, whereas many other mummies were moved to museums. In this chapter too, Shaw explores the various examinations done to the body of Tutankhamun. This leads to some commentary as to Tutankhamun’s health issues, possible cause of death, and parentage. Or maybe not. If one thing is clear about Tutankhamun studies is that nothing is ever truly settled. Did Tutankhamun have a clubfoot? Or was it damaged during the first examination? How reliable is aDNA testing? Did Tutankhamun have a plethora of syndromes or none? The study of Tutankhamun is a source for many flights of speculative fancy beyond even rumors of a curse. 

The cautious approach Shaw takes to his subject is a strength of The Story of Tutankhamun. While the speculative flights of fancy that many authors indulge does add spice to a narrative sparse of known facts, these suppositions may not have any foundations in actual evidence. 

The Story of Tutankhamun is brief. Perhaps too brief. It is cautious in its approach. This may make for a quick, dry read. In the end, The Story of Tutankhamun is an adequate biography of Tutankhamun and an overview of Tutankhamun studies more generally. 

James Holder holds a BA in English Literature. He lives in Texas.