The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut's Mummy

by Jo Marchant

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306821349
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	06/04/2013
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	807,546
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Jo Marchant is an award-winning journalist who specializes in writing about cutting-edge science. She has worked as a staff reporter and editor for Nature and New Scientist, where she is currently a consultant. She lives in London.

Table of Contents

Prologue: An Archaeological Adventure 1

Chapter 1 Tunnel of Legends 5

Chapter 2 Clues by Candlelight 17

Chapter 3 Opera of a Vanished Civilization 33

Chapter 4 Death on Swift Wings 51

Chapter 5 A Brutal Postmortem 63

Chapter 6 Palm Wine, Spices, and Myrrh 75

Chapter 7 Letters from Liverpool 89

Chapter 8 Secrets from Blood and Bone 101

Chapter 9 X-raying the Pharaohs 111

Chapter 10 Living Image of the Lord 125

Chapter 11 Evil Pyramids and Murderous Mold 139

Chapter 12 Sliced, Diced, Brought Back to Life 151

Chapter 13 The Third Door 169

Chapter 14 Fingerprints, Forensics, and a Family Tree 183

Chapter 15 DNA Down the Rabbit Hole 197

Chapter 16 Spare Ribs and Hand Kebabs 213

Chapter 17 Revolution 223

Chapter 18 Audience with the King 231

Afterword: A Brief Window 241

Chronology of Ancient Egypt 247

Acknowledgments 251

Illustration Credits 253

Notes 255

Index 273

Editorial Reviews

Smithsonian Magazine, June 2013
“[A] thoughtful account of the post-unearthing life of the famous royal…an entertaining, lively book—she also interjects common sense, science and authentic history into her account…In the context of Marchant's book, the initial discovery fades: Real insight lies in the layers that time and new technologies reveal about the king and his nation.”

New Jersey syndicated “First Read” column, 5/26/13
“A fascinating tale”

Nature, 6/27/13 “[The] rip-roaring story unwraps the science layer by layer, in tandem with the momentous discoveries and the emergence of theories on the ruler's health and parentage”

Sacramento Bee, 6/30/13
“It's been a wild ride for King Tutankhamun's mummy…Marchant separates the facts from the fiction that has surrounded the controversial relic and explains ‘what science can and can't tell us' about King Tut.”

American Way Magazine, 7/1/13
“Compelling.”

New Scientist
"An unusual, gripping spin on the familiar."

The Book Bag
"A must-read for anyone who is fascinated in the history of Egypt."

From the Publisher