The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut’s Mummy
“More than 3,000 years ago, King Tutankhamun’s desiccated body was lovingly wrapped and sent into the future as an immortal god. After resting undisturbed for more than three millennia, King Tut’s mummy was suddenly awakened in 1922. Archaeologist Howard Carter had discovered the boy-king’s tomb, and the soon-to-be famous mummy’s story—even more dramatic than King Tut’s life—began.
The mummy’s “afterlife” is a modern story, not an ancient one. Award-winning science writer Jo Marchant traces the mummy’s story from its first brutal autopsy in 1925 to the most recent arguments over its DNA. From the glamorous treasure hunts of the 1920s to today’s high-tech scans in volatile modern Egypt, Marchant introduces us to the brilliant and sometimes flawed people who have devoted their lives to revealing the mummy’s secrets, unravels the truth behind the hyped-up TV documentaries, and explains what science can and can’t tell us about King Tutankhamun.” – Publisher’s Description
I have always had a soft spot for archaeology, Egyptology, and all things ancient but have never had the time to read and research as much as I would like, so when the opportunity to review The Shadow King arose I was very excited to say the least! It has been a long time since I had read anything of substance on the subject, especially about Tutankhamun, well since I had visited the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 2005. I was hoping that the Shadow King would be a great re-introduction to this mysterious ancient king and maybe provide some additional information I hadn’t encountered before, but it was much, much more!
Framed around the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 and the subsequent research on his mummy through the next 90 years, Marchant branches out to give us a snapshot of the evolution of Egyptology, archaeology as a whole, and forensic anthropology. This story flows in a very accessible, easy to read narrative that gives the readers an overview of the evolution of the science behind studying ancient Egypt. From the days of treasure hunting Europeans to more scientifically minded Egyptian nationals, Marchant tells a story of what would now be considered mistreatment of artifacts to the careful analysis of hard data.
Not dry in the slightest, the story of these mummies, their discovery, and analysis (especially Tutankhamun himself) is fraught with politics, in-fighting, and a myriad of different stories about his life and death. We see how after his undisturbed 3,000 year rest, Tut’s mummy became a media sensation almost overnight, leading to two different waves of “Tutmania” in the 1970s and 2000s. Learn how changes in forensics from basic autopsy to DNA analysis have taken Tut from an 18 year old murder victim to a buck-toothed, club-footed, disease-ridden invalid, to a strong charioteer and general and then back again as Egyptologists attempt to interpret their data.
As the story unfolds, Marchant does an excellent job of keeping interest alive, providing an excellent balance between the modern analysis of the mummies and the intrigue behind the scenes that has gone on non-stop from Howard Carter through Zahi Hawass and beyond. She is able to paint vivid images of the work and research, as well as the conditions of the mummies and how in the end scientists have found Tutankhamun’s embalming to be rather unique. All of this was of great benefit to me as my review copy was on the Kindle and I didn’t have the benefit of the reference images until the very end.
I highly recommend The Shadow King to anyone who even has a passing interest in Ancient Egypt, archaeology, or forensic science. It pulls together the ups and downs of scientific research and interpretation that reads at times with the intrigue of a thriller while still staying based in the fact. The reader is able to reach their own conclusions, especially in the area of ancient DNA analysis where even those involved in the research admit there is an “all or nothing” approach to its acceptance. The Shadow King has rekindled my interest and love of Ancient Egypt and can only hope that as politics in the region settle, more research and progress will be made before too long!
Many thanks to Da Capo Press, NetGalley, and especially Jo Marchant for the opportunity to read and review The Shadow King.
The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut’s Mummy is scheduled to be released on June 4, 2013.
Five out of five stars.
The Shadow King on Barnes and Noble
The Shadow King on LibraryThing
