Saturday, March 13, 2010

King Tut Tour Takes Over North America

As one of history's most gossiped about characters, King Tut has proven that fame is certainly more attainable after death. Throughout 2010 the latest exhibition of antiquities from the boy king's tomb is touring North America and creating quite a stir. The tour started in San Francisco and visits Toronto, Denver and New York City before retiring back to Egypt. The exhibition isn't the only reason King Tut is making headlines lately - a few weeks ago a much anticipated DNA test result was released.

For decades scientists have pondered the cause of King Tut's death. However due to the results of the most recent DNA test, theories of murder and scandal have all gone out the window and it appears that the king died of complications from a broken leg aggravated by malaria. It may not be the most exciting revelation ever, but it couldn't have come at a better time as the latest exhibition of King Tut's belongings tours North America.

Although the King Tut Exhibition of the '70s set new records, the latest exhibit, 'King Tut and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs' hopes to be a hot contender. It includes an outstanding array of Tutankhamen's burial objects. In addition to 50 objects straight from Tut's tomb, there is an array of other Egyptian artefacts from the 18th Dynasty. This 'Golden Age' of Egypt spanned one hundred years and produced some of history's most impressive antiquities. The exhibition also features new forensic studies of King Tut's mummy. The cause of his death is explored from CT scans and visitors can also look the king in the eye - or rather that of a life-sized bust created by forensic specialists.

When the original exhibit launched at the British Museum in 1972, 'Tut Mania' was born. People queued for over eight hours just to see King Tut and his treasures. Since then, Tut Mania remains ever present with visitors already tallying around 4 million. The new exhibit features iconic pieces as well as never-before-seen objects. It's definitely worth a trip even if you aren't located in one of the cities on the tour.

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