The photo taken on Feb. 17, 2010 shows the mummy of King Tutankhamun's mother (front), who still cann't be identified by name, displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, capital of Egypt. (Xinhua)
Posted on 02/17/2010 5:59:51 PM PST by Pan_Yan
CAIRO, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- A DNA study shows Egypt's famed King Tutankhamun who suffered from a club foot died of malaria and that his father was the "heretic" king Akhenaten, Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi Hawass said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference, Hawass said two years of DNA testing and CT scans on Tutankhamun's 3,300-year-old mummy and mummies either known or believed to be members of his immdiate family are helping reveal many of the myths surrounding the boy king's lineage and cause of death.
Tutankhamun's father was the "heretic" king, Akhenaten, whose body is now almost certainly identified with the mummy from KV 55 in the Valley of the Kings, said Hawass, secretary general of Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Tut's mother, who still cann't be identified by name, is the " Younger Lady" buried in the tomb of Amenhotep II (KV 35), Hawass said, adding that the mummy of the "Elder Lady" from the same tomb can now be conclusively identified as Tutankhamun's grandmother, Queen Tiye.
Tutankhamun died of severe malaria, Hawass said, citing the results of the DNA project carried out by a team of Egyptian scientists on ancient mummies.
"We found evidence from DNA that proves he had very severe malaria," Hawass said.
"He was ill, weak, walked on a cane. When he was 19, and got malaria, he fell, how we don't know, maybe he fell in the bathroom, " he said, adding that "When he fell, and was weak from malaria, he died."
According to the CT scan, Tutankhamun's father Akhenaten died at the age between 45 and 55, not at the age between 20 and 25 as previously thought.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.xinhuanet.com ...
The photo taken on Feb. 17, 2010 shows the mummy of King Tutankhamun's mother (front), who still cann't be identified by name, displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, capital of Egypt. (Xinhua)
Ping.
That’s Gov’t run healthcare for you.
Very interesting.
As an aside, it is too bad Hawass doesn’t slip in the shower. See if that wouldn’t shut him up for 2.3 seconds.
Anybody see a resemblance to Michael Jackson here?
He defo did not want to take after his nutjob father.... ;)
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. I was busy listening to myself."
Tutankhamun might have been the first to change his name for political reasons, but I have the feeling he wasn’t the last. I wonder how many social security numbers Tutankhamun had?
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Is that an actual action shot of him throwing his hat into the ring?
They have the visitors blocked off, but here he is setting that stinking hat any dang place he pleases.
He is the Egyptian equivalent of Pepe Le Pew.
“Tutankhamun might have been the first to change his name for political reasons, but I have the feeling he wasn’t the last. I wonder how many social security numbers Tutankhamun had?”
Social security is when all the people put a little money aside over time and get it when they are old.
Tut, being King, just took all the money they made and instead decided what to do with it for the good of the state;)
I always thought those monotheists were crazy, polly.
“Tutankhamun’s only grandparents, on both his paternal and maternal sides, were Amenhotep III and Tiye,” Hawass said.”
The old family tree didn’t have many branches.. An Egyptian Hillbilly?
I believe the Egyptian royalty married brothers and sisters didn’t they? So that statement actually makes sense.
With only one set of Grandparents, it sure cut down on holiday travel time.
If I recall correctly, his father started worshiping one god, and I think when he died and Tut took the throne the priests did away with that notion. That would explain the name change. I think Aten was the name of the god his father was worshiping.
You recall correctly. Tut’s father moved the capitol from Memphis to some city in the desert he created. Right after Tut took the throne he moved the capitol back to Memphis.
You can really see the family resemblance.
Yeah, that’s what I heard. I find this all so fascinating. Is he the one they tried to chisel his name off of everything?
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