The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut's Mummy, by Jo Marchant
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The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut's Mummy, by Jo Marchant
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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.
The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut's Mummy, by Jo Marchant - Amazon Sales Rank: #686888 in eBooks
- Published on: 2013-06-04
- Released on: 2013-06-04
- Format: Kindle eBook
The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut's Mummy, by Jo Marchant Review 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." San Francisco/Sacramento Book Review “This is science journalism at its best – elucidating, thorough, and just plain fun…Intense and exciting, The Shadow King is written like a fast-paced detective novel, with cliff-hanger chapter endings and breathtaking impetus. In the hands of a good writer, even the driest subject becomes fascinating. The Egyptian mummies are about as dry as they get, but in Marchant’s extremely competent hands, they are resurrected into a vivid afterlife, albeit one they may not have imagined.” Wall Street Journal, 7/27/13 “Marchant expounds Tut's scientific aspects and mysteries with engaging clarity.” TrulyArts “Well worth a read for anyone who's interest in the Pharaohs.”
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.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful. The Shadow King By Charles R. Hensel I have always had a soft spot for archaeology, Egyptology, and all things ancient but have never had the time to read and research as much as I would like, so when the opportunity to review The Shadow King arose I was very excited to say the least! It has been a long time since I had read anything of substance on the subject, especially about Tutankhamun, well since I had visited the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 2005. I was hoping that the Shadow King would be a great re-introduction to this mysterious ancient king and maybe provide some additional information I hadn't encountered before, but it was much, much more!Framed around the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 and the subsequent research on his mummy through the next 90 years, Marchant branches out to give us a snapshot of the evolution of Egyptology, archaeology as a whole, and forensic anthropology. This story flows in a very accessible, easy to read narrative that gives the readers an overview of the evolution of the science behind studying ancient Egypt. From the days of treasure hunting Europeans to more scientifically minded Egyptian nationals, Marchant tells a story of what would now be considered mistreatment of artifacts to the careful analysis of hard data.Not dry in the slightest, the story of these mummies, their discovery, and analysis (especially Tutankhamun himself) is fraught with politics, in-fighting, and a myriad of different stories about his life and death. We see how after his undisturbed 3,000 year rest, Tut's mummy became a media sensation almost overnight, leading to two different waves of "Tutmania" in the 1970s and 2000s. Learn how changes in forensics from basic autopsy to DNA analysis have taken Tut from an 18 year old murder victim to a buck-toothed, club-footed, disease-ridden invalid, to a strong charioteer and general and then back again as Egyptologists attempt to interpret their data.As the story unfolds, Marchant does an excellent job of keeping interest alive, providing an excellent balance between the modern analysis of the mummies and the intrigue behind the scenes that has gone on non-stop from Howard Carter through Zahi Hawass and beyond. She is able to paint vivid images of the work and research, as well as the conditions of the mummies and how in the end scientists have found Tutankhamun's embalming to be rather unique. All of this was of great benefit to me as my review copy was on the Kindle and I didn't have the benefit of the reference images until the very end.I highly recommend The Shadow King to anyone who even has a passing interest in Ancient Egypt, archaeology, or forensic science. It pulls together the ups and downs of scientific research and interpretation that reads at times with the intrigue of a thriller while still staying based in the fact. The reader is able to reach their own conclusions, especially in the area of ancient DNA analysis where even those involved in the research admit there is an "all or nothing" approach to its acceptance. The Shadow King has rekindled my interest and love of Ancient Egypt and can only hope that as politics in the region settle, more research and progress will be made before too long!
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful. A Light in the Shadows By Julie Ann Dawson The Shadow King: The Bizarre Afterlife of King Tut's Mummy, is not simply another rehashing of the King Tut legend and lore. Instead, author Jo Marchant focuses the stranger-than-fiction history behind the search for Tut and the subsequent fallout of Carter's discovery. And indeed, fallout; in terms of scientific, historical, sociological, and political consequences, is the best way to describe the decades since The Boy King was discovered. The hunt for King Tut and the search for clues as to the truth of his demise have had a hidden, but substantial, impact on not only Egypt but the world.Marchant makes every effort to go back to the original source material, tracking down the people who were directly involved in the many events described in the book wherever possible, and uncovering the original notes and journals of those long-dead individuals who first led the charge to find Tut and open his tomb. What we learn is that the search for answers pushed the boundaries of science in a hundred different directions, encouraging (and in some cases forcing) scientists to completely rethink what we knew about everything from DNA to radiology to forensic odontology.Some of the most interesting sections of the book focus more on how the mystique of Tut has been used to gain influence in socio-political spheres. We see how Tut served as a de facto "ambassador" for Egypt during the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty negotiations. We see Tut's image usurped by the Black Power movement of the 1960's. We see how certain elements attempted to usurp Tut's legacy to prove the validity of the Bible. The Boy King proved to be more influential in death, in a way, than he could possibly have been in life.Marchant does a thorough and balanced job of sorting through all of the various theories and conspiracies surrounding Tut and his treasure. Again, she goes to the original source material to make her points clear. In most cases, she refrains from passing judgment per se and instead lets the evidence speak for itself.When dealing with some of the more outlandish beliefs, however, she barely contains her contempt in a way that is refreshingly funny. So often with this type of book, the author takes great care to remain "diplomatic" in how he or she responds to the less reasoned elements in the field. There are points where the sarcasm almost drips off the page. It is nice to see someone refusing to give serious weight to nonsensical ideas instead of pretending all ideas are equally valid.Despite the complex nature of the research, Marchant maintains an accessible style that allows the reader to follow the twists and turns easily. The Shadow King reads like a history lesson cleverly disguised as an adventure/mystery. Perhaps it isn't so much a disguise, as the only way to do justice to the story of King Tut.Review Note: I was given a complimentary advanced review copy of this title for review.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Marchant does it again. By SInohey The story of the "Boy King" Tut Ankh Amun has fascinated the Western world since the serendipitous discovery of his tomb and its riches, in 1922.Most King Tut groupies know the tale of the accidental finding of the tomb in the Valley of the Kings, in Upper Egypt, by the English archeologist, Howard Carter, just when his financial backer, Lord Carnarvon, was about to withdraw his support. The mysterious death of the latter, a few months later; initially rumored to be caused by the curse of the Pharaoh but later on found to be septicemia (infection in the blood) in a frail old man, caused by a mosquito bite that festered.Since that time, books, pamphlets and news reports flooded the culture about Ancient Egypt and mummies. Mummy lore became popular.Then Hollywood began its series of Mummy films with Boris Karloff , Lon Chaney Jr. in the pre-WW ll era, on to Hammer studios in England with Christopher Lee et al in 1959, culminating in the recent trilogy starring Brendan Frasier. On film, mummies were resurrected, reanimated, walked, mumbled (even spoke!) and pursued their victims. SNL had the unforgettable funny skit by Steve Martin "King Tut".Most recently, in 1972-81, the King Tut exhibits travelled around the world, including several major cities in the USA, to huge audiences and box office revenues.In the past decades a wave of "scientific" investigation and studies were conducted on the hapless Tut mummy, including DNA, X-rays, CT scans, MRI, chemical and tissue analysis; done mostly at the behest and financing of TV and documentary producers. The shows are populated by media savvy scholars, advancing their particular theories as to Tut's lineage, maladies and cause of death; in 2002 it was murder, in 2005 TB? Malaria? or head wound, and in 2010 a crushed chest "from a Hippopotamus stepping on him"!Jo Marchant systematically and methodically clears out the smoke of contradicting theories and conjectures, posing as facts. She does that in a clear concise prose and crisp scientific syntax without academic sophistry. The Shadow King is mainly two parts; the first section is about the so-called common knowledge about the subject but the second part is where Marchant challenges all the facts based on (dubious) scientific conclusions.The book reads like a "who-done it" thriller and captures the attention of the reader.Amateur Egyptologists, historians and King Tut groupies will thoroughly enjoy "The Shadow King". It is even better than Jo Marchant's previous book "Decoding the Heavens"(about the Antikythera Mechanism), that was a tour de force of scientific popular writing.
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