Pharaoh. Born Tutankhaten, probably in city of Ankhetaten (present day Tel el-Amarna). There is considerable evidence indicating that he was the grandson of Queen Tiye, his parents were probably Akhenaten, and a secondary wife, Kiya, though that has been debated by scholars. He apparently did not succeed Akhenaten directly, but followed Smenkhare, taking the throne at the age of about nine in about 1334 BC when he married Akhenaten's daughter, Ankhesenamon. One of Tutankhamun's first actions as pharaoh was to move away from the monotheistic Amarna religion of Akhenaten. The royal family re-established the old capitals and spent most of their time at the traditional administrative center of Memphis. It is probable that the pharaoh's regents, Ay and Horemheb, made most of the decisions during Tutankhamun's minority. Both men later ruled as pharaoh in their own right. Tutankhamun's public works included numerous statues and sphinxes depicting Tutankhamun, as well as temples in the pharaoh's name at Memphis and Kawa. The pharaoh died at the age of 17 or 18, and one of his successors, Horemheb, usurped almost all of his building projects imposing his own cartouche upon them, almost obliterating Tutankhamun from history; he was, in fact, not listed on the classical ruler lists of the dynasty. His fame rests upon the 1922 discovery of his intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Lord Carnarvon, an English aristocrat, obtained a concession to dig in the Valley of the Kings and asked archaeologist Howard Carter to direct the excavations at Thebes. Carter had started digging near the entrance of the tomb of Ramses VI when a trench filled with rubble leading to a staircase cut in the rock was discovered. The staircase led to a blocked doorway, plastered and sealed with the royal necropolis seals. Inside was the now famous tomb filled with an astounding and unprecedented array of royal artifacts. Initial studies of the pharaoh's mummy proved Tutankhamun died young, but not how he died. Recent forensic analysis of his mummy suggested that his death was likely the result of an accident; he may have died from infection brought about by a badly broken leg. Rumors that he may have been murdered are now largely discounted since the forensic team unanimously agreed that there was no evidence for murder present. The pharaoh's mummy still rests inside his tomb though most of the contents have to date made two world tours.