Many things have been told about King Tutankhamun. Space travel, aliens, meteorites. Let’s clarify it as much as we can.
It’s all over the internet, “King Tut wielded a blade from space!”, or something of that nature. The headlines grasp our attention immediately, causing us to drop what we’re doing and read the full article, well kind of. King Tutankhamun is the subject of speculation once more.
So, is it true? Did this young king carry a blade from outer space? Well, in a way. You see, this is what we think happened and some other tidbits about the situation.
What probably happened
Whether it was a gift or a request, someone fashioned a sweet dagger out of meteorite. Maybe someone spotted the rock and realized it would create the perfect blade for their king. It was created to be ornate, with a motif of lilies, feathers, and a jackal. And the king was fond of the blade, even being buried with it.
In King Tut’s tomb in 1925, among bracelets, rings, and jewels, the dagger was found nestled within a sheath on the king’s side. The details of the blade were of little concern until this year when scientists used X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to determine the composition of the dagger.
What do you know, it was made from a high percentage of nickel, or meteoric iron – what meteorites are made from! So, in a way, he did wield a blade from space.
Whoa! Slow down
He didn’t fly up there and get it. This is how most headlines sound. And neither did the blade fall from the skies. Gifted craftsmen created the blade from nickel because they found the composition to be special. In fact, there are few other iron objects found from that era.
Or could there be more to it?
The ancient Egyptians felt a connection with the stars, this made the dagger even more mysterious. There had to have been a feeling of longing and this made owning the dagger something special indeed. It was probably seen as a weapon only fit for a king.
Norman Lockyer wrote in 1894,
Egyptian mythology is intensely astronomical and crystallized early ideas suggested by actual observations of the sun, moon and stars.
This puts me in mind of the show “Ancient Aliens”, not to get off track or anything. But there has long been talking of Egyptian knowledge intertwined with the cosmos.
In fact, as far as 3,000 years ago, the Egyptians were said to have knowledge of astrology. Some say they guided by otherworldly beings while building the pyramids, namely the pyramid of Giza which is said to have aligned with Thuban, the north star.
There were other obsessions with the heavens. Obelisks were erected in homage to the sun god. Although Egyptians worshiped the dawn, they also represented their Gods with three-star symbols in their hieroglyphics.
With this being said, King Tutankhamun may have wanted to ascend into the heavens, but that’s not the case… well, in life anyway. King Tut’s infamous meteoric dagger was found strapped to the side of his decomposing body, found by archeologists around 30 centuries later. Doesn’t sound as exciting now, does it?
Despite our imaginations, we can still surmise that King Tutankhamun was truly blessed to wield such a unique blade. It’s not every day that we can carry a piece of a meteorite at our side. I cannot, without a shadow of a doubt, dispute the origin of that blade.
It is possible that something other than humans descended from the heavens and gave it to him. Yes, it’s possible and this possibility in itself keeps us coming back for more. I bet you’ve noticed that stories of King Tutankhamun surfacing from time to time.
I am sure we’ve not heard the last of him yet. I wonder what he will reveal to us next.
References:
- http://www.space.com
- http://www.sciencealert.com
- Image credit: Merce- from Madrid, España / CC BY-SA
