King Tut's Stuff

Above – the word CHICKEN FAT in Ancient Egypt Hieroglyphic – or at least that is what we were told. A computerized machine did it for a $1.

Yesterday we went to see the Tutankamun (aka King Tut) exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center. It was very interesting.

Can I tell you something academic about the little 5’6” shriveled up 19 year old king? Not much. As my age increases my retention ability decreases. The kid had an abscessed tooth when he died, plus some broken ribs, a cracked bone above a knee, and a blow to his head. They think he may have died of an infection.

He was king for over ten years. He was King and ruler before his voice even changed. I don’t know if that would fall under “having paid your dues” or not.

He wasn’t entombed in a huge pyramid as you might think, but hidden far out. It appears that after he died they leaders that came to power tried to erase his name from the history books. And it may have worked if his chambers were not discovered by an American named Carter. Well, actually, a young teenager stumbled over the stairs going down - but since Carter was the head person there and just about pin-pointed where it should be he should get credit.

But erased or not whoever buried Tut gave him a royal burial with play things, a small boat that any fools know all you have to do is come alive, add water and the boat becomes a big boat – which you would surely need in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

One of the things I found interesting was one a little carving of a man that lived then. He was either an official or royal - a little statuette - he had an long oblong head that went backwards. He wasn't wearing a hat or a crown or any other head-dress but just a long bare head - there were a couple other of people wearing things over their heads that were head-dresses that were the same shape as the bald guy. It sort of reminded me of the Cone-Heads and also made me wonder if they were maybe from another planet... after all, the Egyptians were highly technical - how they built giant pyramids with huge building blocks weighing tons - how they got them in place and even how they were transported a long distance is still a mystery. In other words, did aliens with superior intelligence from another planet help them out? Hmmmm.

There were many King Tut things to see at the Civic Center. Many objects were on displayed and a little sign explaining more about the tradition or logic behind each little item.

We rented the little electronic audio things that you hold up to your ear and listen. We rented two… we could have easily done with one between us – we just didn’t know how it was going to be. We thought they would be much like the ear phones at the High Museum, Wrong! They were very hard to listen to. I think they were a rip off.

Speaking of rip-offs I thought their post cards in the gift shop were much too high when I can probably do a google and find some decent photographs – a penny saved is a penny earned.



The little king himself was not there. I sort of expected him in the last room before the gift shop – maybe he was on break or something. This is a picture of him that was in National Geographic…. Notice the royal “I’m-better-than-you sneer?"

Now, with the exhibit about over in a couple of weeks they will soon pack up, do a final sweep and move on, the prices are coming down now. it wasn’t very crowded. maybe if they tell the TV news people a mummy has escaped and already strangled several people it might draw the crowds.

I want to want to rush out and buy Steve Martin’s song “King Tut”.