The importance of King Tut

Ah, the ironies of history. Every elementary school kid in America has heard of King Tut-- the famous Egyptian "boy king" whose tomb yielded important cultural relics along with the jewels, art, and food with which the Egyptians regularly armed their deceased royalty for the voyage to the Underworld.

Ever wonder why Tut's tomb was so well preserved when many of the pyramids were ransacked centuries earlier?

It's because King Tut was considered pretty minor and unimportant among Egyptian leaders. Hence, other tombs were built on top of his when it turned out desert property in the Valley of the Kings was at a premium. This protected The Boy King's small haul, with the unintended side effect of enhancing his apparent status. We think he was important because we know the most about him.

Funny how that works.