By James L. Stroud, Jr.
Contributing Writer
A child views the simulated remains of King Tut through
a glass case at the Science Museum. -Photos by James L. Stroud, Jr.
On February 18, the Science Museum of Minnesota opened the exhibit “Tutankhamen: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs,” which runs until September 5.
Over 3,000 years ago in Northern Africa, Egypt became one of the most significant powers in the world. Tutankhamen, a.k.a. King Tut, was crowned pharaoh or king at 10 years of age in 1333 BCE (Before the Christian Era). He ruled for just nine years until his death.
Tut was the last of the royal line from the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom. Before King Tut ruled, there was his father, Amenhotep IV, who later renamed himself Akhenaten during his reign (1371-1355 BCE).
The Tutankhamen exhibit at the Science Museum displays artifacts and statue images of several pharaohs in a group of kings and queens from different eras. Much like musical groups that have a shining star — like when Prince had the Revolution, Gladys Knight had the Pips, and Smokey Robinson had the Miracles — it is King Tut who gets top billing and is the star of this Science Museum show.
In King Tut’s case, according to historians, he is considered a minor pharaoh because of his brief nine-year reign with fewer contributions historically than any other pharaohs before or after him. King Tut’s worldwide “star status” is attributed to the work of British archaeologist Dr. Howard Carter, who discovered Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922.
Dr. Carter’s find is considered a literal gold mine and is the most complete ancient Egyptian royal tomb discovery ever. His discovery of King Tut’s tomb produced about 3,000 items, most of them made of gold. The following is a list of some of the breathtaking treasure items found in the tomb of King Tut and now in display cases at the Science Museum:
Jewelry, including bracelets, anklets, buckles, necklaces, earrings, collars, ear studs and rings; furnishings, including couches, chairs, two thrones, ritual beds and headrests, and chests; statues; daggers and other weapons and shields; musical instruments; 24kt sandals (on King Tut’s body at discovery); and a sarcophagus (cat coffin). This is just a brief list of the many items on display.
In addition to the regular fun stuff for children and adults to do at the Science Museum, children have an opportunity to sit at craft tables with instructors and learn how to write their names with hieroglyphic letters and make necklaces and flails.
The last but not the least part of the tour includes Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs, a 45-minute movie in the Omnitheater. The film highlights the discovery of 40 mummies and 12 kings in a tomb about 40 years before King Tut’s tomb was found. It also sheds light on the mummification process and how modern science will use the DNA of mummies to cure diseases that exist today.
Egyptians originally called their country Kemet and also referred to it as “the Red Land” because of the red desert by the river banks, and as “the Black Land” for the rich black soil deposited by yearly flooding from the Nile River.
Believe it or not, many people attending the opening weekend of the King Tut exhibit — Black, White and otherwise — were surprised to learn that Egypt is in Africa and that many of the statues of the pharaohs were undeniably of Black people. It is strongly recommended that all parents take this opportunity to educate their children (and themselves, if necessary) about the realities of our African heritage as immortalized in the magnificent treasures of ancient Egypt.
For more information about “Tutankhamen: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs,” contact the Science Museum of Minnesota at 651-221-9444, or on the Internet at www.smm.org.
James L. Stroud, Jr. welcomes reader responses to jlstroud@spokes man-recorder.com.
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