12. Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun’s Children Died at Birth
In addition to immense treasure and walking canes, the team that discovered King Tut’s tomb also found tiny coffins that held the mummies of two infant daughters, who may have been twins. They were the children of King Tut and Ankhesenamun, and both probably died at birth. Analyses revealed that one of the girls probably had a deformity called Sprengel’s deformity, which occurs in utero when the shoulder blades fail to align correctly. It is commonly present in children who are also born with spina bifida, scoliosis, fused ribs, and other problems. Had the girl lived, she probably would have been in immense pain.
As frequently happens in royal lines that have undergone severe inbreeding over long periods, the physical challenges that get passed down led to King Tut dying without an heir. Having siblings for parents, who were probably themselves the product of inbreeding, and marrying his own sister most likely led to the girls being stillborn and with severe deformities. When he died, the throne passed to his advisor, who was probably also his grandfather, a man named Ay. He reigned briefly and was followed by Horemheb. After Horemheb, the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt came to an end. It may have lasted longer without the inbreeding.