10. A Broken Leg May Have Killed Tut
For many years, enthusiasts of the boy king speculated and theorized as to what may have killed him. Some theories were more dramatic, suggesting murder and intrigue within the royal court. Perhaps he was murdered by someone who – perhaps Ay or Horemheb – was jealous of the throne and wanted to seize it for himself (or herself). Maybe someone who did not approve of his religious reforms and wanted a continuance of Tut’s father’s monotheistic worship of Ra rather than a return of polytheism. Perhaps the boy king was poisoned or struck on the head.
New studies show that the truth behind his death is far less dramatic than murder. King Tut’s legs proved to be the bane of his short life. He was unable to walk without assistance due to slender hips, scoliosis, and a deformed foot. To make the story worse, he probably died of a broken leg. His inbred heritage had most likely weakened his immune system so that it was unable to fight off what may have been a basic case of malaria, common to ancient Egypt, which set in after he broke his leg. But how did he break his leg? Perhaps someone pushed him, knowing that the injury would prove to be lethal.