The Shadow KingThe Shadow King: The bizarre afterlife of King Tut’s mummy

Coming in June 2013

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.

Reviews:

‘Egyptology,’ Marchant writes, ‘as sold to the public, is sometimes not so far from show business,’ and while she’s in this business herself – writing an entertaining, lively book – she also injects 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.” Smithsonian Magazine

Media:

Jo Marchant talks to Alok Jha about the history, science, politics – and curse – of King Tut’s mummy
The Guardian Science Weekly podcast 10 June 2013 Listen here

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