Howard Carter and the mystery of Tutankhamun

Today's Google Doodle is celebrating the 138th Birth Anniversary of Howard Carter, who was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist. His most notable contribution was the discovery of the tomb Tutankhamun in 1922.

Tutankhamun was an Egyptian pharaoh (king) of the 18th dynasty. His real name was Tutankhaten, which means 'Living Image of Aten' but he later changed it to Tutankhamun 'Living Image of Amun'. Aten and Amun are the names of Egyptian Gods.

He was just nine years old when he became pharaoh and reigned for approximately ten years. As Tutankhamun was so young at the start of his reign, his vizier Ay was probably making most of the important political decisions during his rule.

Tutankhamun was one of the few Egyptian pharaohs to be worshiped as a god and honoured with a cult-like following. During his reign, Tutankhamun had ended the worship of the God Aten and restored the God Amun to supremacy.

The cause of his death is not known but it is speculated that Tutankhamun was assassinated; the consensus is that his death was accidental; hence he was buried in a tomb that was relatively not grand enough to match his status.