National King Tut Day-November 4th
By: Rachel Linden
King Tut day celebrates the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s Tomb by archeologist
Howard Carter, which occurred on November 4, 1922. Over 3,000 years ago, King
Tutankhamen (also known as “King Tut,” or “The Child King”) became king of Egypt at
the age of 9 or 8. He died at the age of 19. He was born on 1343 B.C. in Amarna and
ruled for nine years from 1333 B.C. to 1324 B.C. It is believed that he was 5’8’’ tall and
that he lived in Northeastern Africa. The Egyptians believed that makeup had healing
powers, and it likely protected the face from the sun in the region.
King Tut’s tomb was discovered nearly intact in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. He was
believed to be really rich, as he was found wearing a pharaoh’s golden mask, which was
placed over this head while being mummified; it weighed 30 pounds. He was also found
with 3500 articles, which took 10 years to catalog. Some of the artifacts found in the
tomb included the bodies of two stillborn baby girls (mummified and placed in small
coffins), 130 walking sticks, King Tut’s sandals, and a mysterious necklace. The
necklace contained an amulet which initially confused archeologists, as it was made of glass from the Great Sand Sea
in Egypt, and contained a depiction of the sun traveling in the sky. At the time, archeologists wondered if Egyptians
were familiar with glass, or its origins. The sandals featured drawings on the soles, images of King Tut trampling over
his enemies.
Egyptians used hieroglyphics as a written language, invented toothpaste, mummified the dead, mummified bodies of
their cats, which were considered sacred animals that had to accompany their owners on the journey to the afterlife,
and placed the pharaoh's servants and toilets into tombs with the deceased in case the mighty ruler needed them in the
next life.
Egyptians believed the constellation Orion to be the soul of Osiris, the god of afterlife, and that the god continues to
watch over King Tut. From murder to sickle cell anemia- there are a lot of guesses as to the reason of King Tut’s
death. Some even believe that he was murdered by his own court members. Although it will likely never be known for
sure who killed King Tut, he will remain one of the well-recognized Pharaohs ever unearthed. His burial mask is on
display in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, in the only air-conditioned room in the building.
If you’re looking for a way to celebrate King Tut Day- consider spending the day with your nose buried in some
Egyptian history books- learn about King Tut and the culture of Ancient Egypt.
Farm to School Update
In January of 2015, Litchfield Public Schools in cooperation with the Trotter Greenhouse began
participating in the Farm to School lunch program and a portion of the produce served in the
school lunch program comes from the Trotter Greenhouse. The school would like to expand the
program to include locally raised beef as well. Serving locally-raised food benefits the students
in learning about how and where their food comes from and directly relates to high school
Agricultural Education programs. Other programs have found that through the Farm to School
program they have seen increased student participation in the hot lunch program and the
students have wasted less food due to the higher quality. The locally raised food also has a
higher nutritional value than much of the food purchased elsewhere. There is also a potential
economic benefit to the school through reduced cost food. The community in return benefits
with more money staying in the community rather than buying the food through suppliers in other
cities. We are seeking community involvement to include beef into our Farm to School lunch
program. Producers can sign a commitment letter to donate a quality animal. For your donation
you will receive a receipt that may provide a tax incentive. Monetary donations would also be
accepted to help cover processing and transportation costs. If you would like to be a part of this
program in any way please contact the school at 308-446-2244.
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