Answer:
Studies have established that Tutankhamun died between the ages of 17 and 19, more or less as Carter and Derry had concluded, and was between 1.6 and 1.7 metres (5ft 2in and 5ft 6in) tall. Beyond this, however, very little is certain.
There has been a great deal of speculation about the various medical conditions that may have afflicted Tutankhamun during his lifetime, and to what extent these contributed to his death. Possibilities suggested over the years include general physical weakness, perhaps caused by in-breeding within the royal family (which almost certainly did occur); pectus carinatum, or pigeon chest; and even ‘Tutankhamun syndrome’, with symptoms such as breast development, sagging abdominal wall and flat feet.
Secondary evidence, such as the presence of walking sticks in the tomb, and Tutankhamun’s representation in the art of the times, has sparked further speculation. The debate has also been influenced by depictions of Akhenaten, who was often shown as being a grotesque, almost deformed figure. Yet, no one knows whether this was an attempt to capture the likeness of a king genuinely suffering from some kind of illness or a mere artistic convention.
