Computer-generated bust of Tutankhamun
On Thanksgiving weekend I viewed the exhibit, “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs,” at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. I figured it was my turn to faint that day, because my mom had just fainted the day before (see prior post) and I had fainted in a similar Tutankhamun exhibit in Chicago when I was young. It was perfect timing and staging for the curse of Tutankhamun!
de Young Museum San Francisco
However, no one fainted, because the ventilation system in the new de Young Museum is state of the art, thanks to technology and engineering.
I was delighted to see the 3,300-year-old objects that had made a big impression on me when I was young. One set of objects that struck me the most this time was the crook and flail that Tut probably used in ceremonies. The crook and flail are among the primary symbols of Ancient Egyptian rulers; the crook symbolizes the pharaoh’s role as shepherd and the flail symbolizes his role as provider of food.
Tutankhamun and his wife, Ankhesenpaaten
Tutankhamun took the throne in 1333 BCE at age 9 or 10, and died at 18 or 19 in 1323 BCE. The cause of such an early death is still uncertain, but a CT scan of his mummy shows a fracture in his left thigh bone (femur) that scientists think became gangrenous and led to his death. “Tutankhamun” means “the living image of god Amun,” so he, like all pharaohs, was a god-king.
Akhenaten, his wife Nefertiti, their daughters, and god Aten
In a great example of religious and political disagreement between father and son, Tutankhamun restored the traditional polytheistic religion that his father, Akhenaten, had just replaced with a monotheistic religion. Akhenaten’s only god was Aten, a sky god depicted as the sun with extended hands, and Akhenaten was Aten’s high priest. Tutankhamun restored the traditional polytheistic religion with deities such as Isis, goddess of magical power and healing; Osiris, god of the underworld, fertility, and agriculture; Nut, goddess of heaven and the sky; and Thoth, god of the moon, drawing, writing, geometry, wisdom, medicine, music, and astronomy. Tutankhamun also moved the capital back to Thebes, after his father had just moved it to Akhetaten, “Horizon of Aten,” at the site known today as Amarna.
Tutankhamun did all this between the ages of 9 and 19, quite an achievement that few at any age have ever had the opportunity to attempt! What would he have done if he had lived longer? He probably had plenty of public opinion and advice to consider in the move back to the former ways of life, such as from trusted advisor Ay, who succeeded Tut as pharaoh.
Although nowhere near religious significance or proportions, cloud computing is a technology revolution that probably won’t revert as it gradually augments and replaces on-premises systems. Consider this pantheon of cloud-based applications:
It may be painful to disagree about religion and politics like father and son Akhenaten and Tutankhamun did, but it’s easy to argue that cloud-based solutions deliver business value quickly and cost-effectively. I think cloud computing is one of the positive revolutions, along with social media, that will define our generation and epoch.
When will you join the cloud evolution?
