Learning A–Z level Z Multi-level Z Z1 Z2

Grade 5 Word Count 2,061

Lexile 1020L Nonfiction • Informational

Refer to the Focus Question on page 2 of this title to guide

discussion and support additional learning connected to the text.

King Tut was just nine years old when he took the
Egyptian throne in 1334 BCE. Who was this young king?
Why did he die suddenly at only nineteen? The Mystery
of King Tut provides students a comprehensive look
at Tut’s homeland, his family, his friends and enemies,
his tomb, and his mummified body. The book can also
be used to teach students how to identify main ideas
and details and complex sentences. The book is also
available for levels Z1 and Z2.

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8 (background), 12 (background), 14 (background), 15: © iStock; page 8 (left): © Christopher Klein/National Geo-graphic Stock; page 9:
The Mystery of
King Tut
© Bettmann/Getty Images; page 10: © P. Plailly/E. Daynes/Science Source; pages 12 (top), 16: © Gianni Dagli Orti/Shutterstock; page 13:
© bumihills/Shutterstock; page 14 (main): © Özgür Güvenç/123RF; pages 17: © Reuters/Supreme Council for Antiquities; pages 18: © Ben
Curtis/AP Images; page 19: © Mary Evans Picture Library

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 The Mystery of Focus Question

King Tut
Who was King Tut, and why
was he important?

Words to Know
archaeologist genetic
artifacts hieroglyphics
depicted monotheist
deterioration mummified
dynasties pharaoh
embalmed protruding

King Tut’s Connections

sarcophagus
Writing
Write a report about King Tut that includes answers to
the following questions. What did you already know
Cover: The front of King Tutankhamun’s funeral mask, one of the treasures
found in his tomb about King Tut? What new information did you learn
from this book? As a scientist, how would you find the
answers to questions you still have?
Written by David Dreier
Social Studies
Use information from the book and outside research
to create King Tut’s family tree.
 Finding Tut
In 1922, a British archaeologist (AR-kee-OLL-
oh-jist) made a fantastic discovery in the country
of Egypt . With the help of Egyptian workers,
he found the tomb of Tutankhamun (toot-an-
KAH-muhn), better known as King Tut . Tut
ruled ancient Egypt more than 3,300 years ago,
becoming pharaoh (FAIR-oh) at the age of nine .
He ruled for almost ten years and died suddenly
at about age nineteen . In the years since the
British archaeologist Howard Carter, who discovered the tomb of King Tut, opening of Tut’s coffin, many have wondered how
examines the golden sarcophagus during the excavation.
the young king died .
Table of Contents Just like detectives,
Finding Tut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 archaeologists solve
mysteries by looking
King Tut’s Homeland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
at the evidence and
King Tut’s Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 asking questions .
Where did Tut live?
The Boy Pharaoh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Who were his family
End of a Dynasty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 and friends? Did
he have enemies?
King Tut’s Tomb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Answers to these
The Suspects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 questions may help
solve the ultimate
The Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
question: Why did
Mystery Solved? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 King Tut die at such
What Tut might have looked like,
with his funeral mask in background a young age?
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Mystery of King Tut • Level Z 3 4

 King Tut’s Homeland At the beginning of the New Kingdom, two
of Egypt’s most important gods were Ra (RAH)
Ancient Egypt was ruled for about three
and Amun (AH-muhn) . Ra was the Sun god . In
thousand years by a series of dynasties, or ruling
images, he was often depicted as a falcon . Amun
families . Historians group them into historical
was a creator god . He was usually depicted as a
periods called the Old Kingdom, the Middle
man with a tall crown .
Kingdom, and the New Kingdom .
During the late New Kingdom period,
King Tutankhamun was a member of the 18th
however, some Egyptians gradually began
Dynasty, the first dynasty of the New Kingdom,
worshipping the Sun in a different way . They
which began around 1550 bce, about two hundred
called this god Aten (AH-tuhn) and depicted
years before Tut was even born .
him as a golden Sun disk .
In ancient Egypt, religious belief was an
As Aten became
important part of life . Egyptians at that time
more important to
Map of Ancient Egypt worshipped
nobility, other gods
many different
were worshiped less .
gods and
Religion was an
goddesses . To
established part of life
understand
in Egypt, but there was
King Tut’s life
some flexibility . To most
and perhaps his
people, Aten was just
death, one must
another god among many .
learn the history
He did not pose a threat
behind this
to their religious beliefs
religious belief .
until a young man named
Amenhotep (ah-muhn-
Amenhotep IV
HO-tep) IV—Tut’s father—
became pharaoh .

Mystery of King Tut • Level Z 5 6

 Gods on the Job After about five years, the new pharaoh took
Out of hundreds of deities, people usually chose to devote a drastic step . He began a sudden and complete
themselves to a small group of major and minor gods and
change in the official religion of Egypt . He
goddesses. One reason Egyptians worshipped particular deities
was to get help with their careers. declared that Egyptians could only worship Aten .
Thoth, god of writing and knowledge, was worshipped by He changed his name to Akhenaten (ahk-eh-
many scribes in ancient Egypt. NAH-tuhn), which means “He Who Serves Aten .”
Seshat, goddess of writing and measurement, would have
Akhenaten closed and tried to destroy temples
been a better choice than Thoth for ancient astronomers,
architects, and mathematicians. of many of the other gods in Egypt . Akhenaten’s
Ptah, god of craftspeople, was worshipped by artisans of severe actions upset people who were used to
all kinds, such as those who painted tomb walls or those who worshipping many gods and angered the priests
made statues. of the old gods . In various parts of Egypt, people
tried to stop the destruction of their temples, but
the pharaoh’s military was able to control them .
King Tut’s Family In addition to closing temples, Akhenaten also
Amenhotep IV began his rule in 1352 bce . built a new capital city . He moved the capital away
In Egyptian artwork, he has unusual features, from Thebes and called the new city Akhetaten
including a long face, thin calves, and a (ahk-eh-TAH-tuhn), which means “Horizon of
protruding belly . Amenhotep IV had been Aten .” Today this area is called Amarna .
raised in the new Aten religion and was a
true believer . He saw Aten as a universal god Queen Nefertiti
for all the people in the world . Except for Cleopatra, no other queen
of Egypt is as well known as Nefertiti
The pharaoh believed Aten created the world (neh-fer-TEE-tee). She was the favorite
at the beginning of time, ruled over it alone, and wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti
continued to give life to the world through his was likely stepmother to young Prince
bright rays of light . Thus, Amenhotep IV has been Tutankhaten (later Tutankhamun) after
his mother died. Nefertiti died in her
called the world’s first monotheist, someone who
early thirties.
believes in a single, all-powerful god .

Mystery of King Tut • Level Z 7 8

 It was in this new capital of Egypt that King The Boy Pharaoh
Tut was born in about 1345 bce . He was named
Tut lived the life of the wealthy . He wore
Tutankhaten, meaning “the Living Image of
jewelry, linen clothing, perfumed oils, and
Aten .” Researchers recently used genetic tests
makeup . Archaeologists found all these items
to identify mummies that were Tut’s parents and
in his tomb . As pharaoh, he would have been
grandparents . Using DNA samples taken from
expected to hunt with members of his royal court,
bones, the tests identified a mummy that might be
usually with a bow and from a chariot . Chariots,
Akhenaten as Tut’s father and provided a family
nearly fifty bows, and board games were put into
tree for the boy king . Tut’s mother is known
his tomb for his use in the afterlife .
to be one of Akhenaten’s sisters, but which one
is uncertain . Tutankhaten married his half-sister
Ankhesenpaaten (AHNK-eh-suhn-PAH-ah-tuhn) .
Akhenaten ruled for seventeen years . What
Her name means “She Lives Through Aten .” Tut
happened next is as puzzling as the other
fathered at least two daughters, but neither lived .
mysteries surrounding Tut’s life and death . There
were two rulers during the next three or four King Tut had several servants in the court . One
years whose personal attendant, Tutu, had served Tut’s family
identities are for years, since his grandfather
unclear . After had been king . Other servants,
them, the throne some even younger than King
of Egypt was Tut, would help him with even
again empty, the smallest tasks . For example,
so nine-year-old he had a cupbearer, whose job
Tutankhaten was to make sure everyone’s
became pharaoh . drinking cups stayed full,
especially the young king’s . King Tutankhaten
Akhenaten and Nefertiti,
possibly Tut’s stepmother,
with three of their
children in a carving from
a temple at Amarna

Mystery of King Tut • Level Z 9 10

 Because the pharaoh was so young, the End of a Dynasty
military and political work of the royal court
In 1327 bce, when he was about nineteen years
was mostly carried out by others—two men in
old, King Tutankhamun died . How he died was
particular . One of them was the chief advisor,
not officially recorded . The young pharaoh was
named Ay . The other was the general in charge
mummified and buried in a tomb in the Valley
of the army, named Horemheb (HOR-ehm-heb) .
of the Kings, a large royal cemetery near Thebes .
Although they had both served Akhenaten, they
strongly disliked his religious reforms . The two Tut had no living
men wanted King Tut to bring back the old ways children, but the throne
of worshipping . of Egypt needed a new
king . Ay, because of his
Horemheb and Ay used their influence to
long experience in the
persuade Tut to end the worship of Aten . They
court, became the new
wanted Tut to return Amun to his position as
pharaoh and married
chief god . The young king did so and changed
Tut’s widow . After
his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun,
ruling for just four
“the Living Image of Amun .” The queen also took
years, Ay died in
a new name, Ankhesenamun (AHNK-eh-suhn-
1323 bce . Horemheb
AH-muhn) . Historians are certain that Ay and
then became pharaoh .
Horemheb were the main forces behind the
changes that took place during King Tut’s reign .
Because he was so young, the king did as he
Do You Know?
Just like a person today might have a first, middle, and last
was told . name, pharaohs had more than one name. They had one name
As part of a return to the old ways, the royal at birth, and when they became pharaohs they were given other
names. Often these names appeared inside an oval known as a
court moved back to the city of Thebes . The city cartouche (car-TOOSH). Ancient Egyptians believed names were
of Amarna, devoted to the god Aten, was left to very powerful. They thought that by writing a person’s name
decay in the Egyptian sun . on something and then breaking it, they could hurt or even kill
that person.

Mystery of King Tut • Level Z 11 12

 King Tut’s Tomb
In the 1800s, many British and European
archaeologists went to Egypt to study Egyptian
writing, called hieroglyphics (hy-ur-uh-GLIF-iks),
found on many walls and monuments . The writing
revealed much about the customs of the pharaohs .
Archaeologists learned that the tombs of pharaohs
would be filled with all the things a person might
need in the afterlife . Hoping to make money from
these objects, they excavated many tombs but were
Archaeologists digging in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings always hope to find always disappointed . Others had robbed the tombs
a ruler’s untouched tomb. before they got there .

To show his devotion to Amun and break

with previous leaders, Horemheb ordered the The Rosetta Stone
destruction of everything connected with the Scholars had long puzzled over the
Aten religion and Akhenaten . In Amarna, his ancient Egyptian language, hieroglyphics.
men demolished the temples of Aten . They also When Napoleon brought his army to
occupy Egypt in 1798, one of his soldiers
smashed statues of Akhenaten and his family—
found something more enduring: a
including those of King Tut . Later, workers removed flat black rock with writing in three
the blocks of stone with the wall art from the languages carved into its surface. Two
buildings in the city and used them for construction of the languages were forms of ancient Egyptian, but the third
projects in Hermopolis, a city on the other side was Greek. Over the next twenty-five years, using the Greek
text and knowledge of the Egyptian language Coptic as keys,
of the Nile River near Amarna . The shattered
scholars translated the other languages. A breakthrough came
remains of Akhenaten’s once-splendid capital when one scholar realized that ancient Egyptian, unlike simple
were covered by drifting sand and forgotten . picture writing, used symbols to represent sounds rather than
words. Finding the Rosetta Stone remains one of the most critical
Horemheb ruled for twenty-seven years, dying archaeological discoveries of all time.
in 1295 bce . With his death, the 18th Dynasty ended .

Mystery of King Tut • Level Z 13 14

 By the early 1900s, archaeologists believed The Suspects
they had discovered all the tombs in the Valley
Early death was nothing unusual in ancient
of the Kings . British archaeologist Howard Carter
times . The average life span in ancient Egypt
searched unsuccessfully for Tut for more than
was about thirty years, and many people didn’t
five years . In 1922, he persuaded the man paying
live that long . Still, there were many reasons
for the search, Lord Carnarvon, to pay for one
for some historians to think that the physically
more season .
disabled teenage King Tut may have been the
Later that year, Carter found Tut’s tomb in victim of murder .
almost undisturbed condition . It contained a
Ay and Horemheb controlled many of King
wealth of artifacts, including thrones, jewelry,
Tut’s decisions, and both became pharaohs after
weapons, and statues . The mummy of
his death . There was no natural heir to Tut’s
Tutankhamun, covered with a large gold mask,
throne . If they wanted to seize power, the time
lay within three nested coffins . The innermost
to do it was before Tut had children who lived
coffin was made of about 242 pounds (110 kg)
or before he reached adulthood and
of gold . The discovery created a sensation, and
pushed the two men aside .
Tut became the most famous pharaoh in history .
Some researchers
identified two of Tut’s servants
Who Got Tut’s Treasure? as possible murderers: the
Howard Carter opened King Tut’s tomb—but the Egyptian cupbearer and Tut’s personal
government had rules for foreign archaeologists. One rule was
attendant, Tutu . They were among
that, if an intact tomb was discovered, all the artifacts had to stay
in Egypt. Carter argued with the Egyptian government. He said the few people permitted to enter
the tomb was not intact. He wanted to take half of the treasure the king’s bedroom . Either man
back to England. However, every piece—the golden funeral mask, could have murdered the pharaoh,
the jewelry, and statues—remained in Egypt. Today, the Egyptian perhaps by striking his head with
government works with international researchers and allows
a heavy object while he slept or by
artifacts from Tut’s tomb to go on tour. But the Egyptians have
the final say about what happens with this Egyptian treasure. pushing him
A wall painting of Ay
down stairs . found in Tut’s tomb

Mystery of King Tut • Level Z 15 16

 The Body The CT scans also revealed that the young king
had several physical problems, including a cleft
For years, many people thought that Tut was
palate and a club foot . The researchers also found
killed by a blow to the head . They based that
other evidence of what might have killed Tut . The
theory on X-ray studies of the pharaoh’s mummy,
scans showed that shortly before his death, he had
made in 1968 and in 1978, which showed damage
suffered a broken leg that hadn’t healed properly .
to the skull . Experts said the damage was strong
Hawass said the king may have developed an
evidence that Tut had been struck on the back of
infection from the injury and died a few days
the head with a heavy object .
later . From 2007 to 2010, Hawass and other
In 2005, researchers researchers studied Tut’s remains using
in Cairo, Egypt, genetic tests .
decided to find out
The new genetic tests showed the researchers
if that was true . The
two important conditions they hadn’t seen before .
group was led by a top
There was evidence that King Tut had multiple
Egyptian archaeologist,
attacks of severe malaria . The disease alone
Dr . Zahi Hawass . The
probably wouldn’t have killed Tut, but it may
researchers studied
have left him very weak . They also found evidence
Dr. Zahi Hawass with Tut before the King Tut’s mummy
mummy enters the CT scanner of a deterioration of
with an advanced
the bones in his left foot .
X-ray technique called CT (CAT) scanning . A CT
Tut may have inherited
scanner takes numerous X-rays of an object from
the condition from
different angles . A computer uses the information
both of his parents;
to produce images that are much more detailed
since they were siblings,
than ones made with regular X-ray machines .
it may have made the
Hawass announced that the skull damage damaging effects of the
happened after Tut was dead . He determined condition worse .
that it probably occurred during the
Scientists reveal the face
mummification process . of King Tut’s mummy.

Mystery of King Tut • Level Z 17 18

 Mystery Solved? Glossary
Did young King Tut die from a combination of archaeologist (n.) genetic (adj.) page 9
physical troubles, an accident, a disease, and/or page 4 having to do with
an infection from a broken leg? Or could it have a scientist who studies heredity and variation
been something else? Some members of Hawass’s the remains of ancient in living things
group said the broken leg might have happened cultures
hieroglyphics (n.)
when Tut was being embalmed . Other experts
artifacts (n.) page 15 page 14
say that Carter’s team caused the break when they
any objects made a system of writing
removed Tut’s mummy from its inner coffin years
or used by humans that uses pictures or
ago . With new
long ago symbols to represent
scientific research
words, syllables, or
and DNA evidence, depicted (v.) page 6
sounds, used by the
theories of how the represented or
ancient Egyptians
young king lived portrayed something
and others instead of
and died become
deterioration (n.) alphabetical letters
more provable . But
page 18
different experts monotheist (n.) page 7
the process of becoming
might interpret a person who believes
worse over time
them differently . in one god
What’s your dynasties (n.) page 5
mummified (v.) page 12
interpretation? series of rulers from
made into a mummy
the same family in
a country pharaoh (n.) page 4
a ruler in ancient Egypt
embalmed (v.) page 19
preserved the body of a protruding (adj.) page 7
person who had died so sticking out
Carter’s team removes it would not decay
artifacts from Tut’s tomb.

Mystery of King Tut • Level Z 19 20