Unraveling the DNA Behind the Mask

Originally published February 24, 2010 | Yale Daily News | by Erin Vanderhoof |

After 3,400 years, one of history’s oldest cold cases has finally been solved.

In addition to finding evidence that the legendary Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun (better known as King Tut) died of malaria and suffered from a club foot, DNA analysis unveiled last week has identified a previously anonymous excavated mummy, KV55, as Tutankhamun’s father: Akhenaten, the rebellious pharaoh of Egypt’s Amarna period whose legacy disappeared for thousands of years. The DNA supports the theory of two Yale professors, who suggested that the androgynous figures of the period’s art reflect religious beliefs rather than representations of Akhenaten’s family.

This theory was presented by Yale Egyptology professors John Darnell and Colleen Manassa ’01 GRD ’05 in their 2007 book, "Tutankhamun’s Armies," which details the military and diplomatic technique of Egypt’s late 18th Dynasty, which ruled the country from 1550 B.C. to 1292 B.C.

Upcoming Ancient Egypt Programs on the Discovery Channel

Accessed February 18, 2010 | Discovery Channel | Here is a list of upcoming programs on the Discovery Channel about Ancient Egypt, from the Great Sphinx to Cleopatra, Hatshepsut, and Tutankhamun. It's going to be an awesome weekend!

• Date: February 21, 2010
  Program Name: The Sphinx Unmasked
  Time: 1pm ET
  
  
• Date: February 21
  Program Name: When Ancient Egypt Fell
  
  Time: 2pm ET
  
• Date: February 21, 2010
  Program Name: Egypt's Ten Greatest Discoveries
  Time: 3 and 4pm ET
  
  
• Date: February 21, 2010
  Program Name: Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen
  Time: 5 and 6pm ET
  
  
• Date: February 21 and 22, 2010
  Program Name: Cleopatra - Portrait of a Killer
  Time: 7pm (2/21) and 2am (2/22) ET
  
  
• Date: February 21 - 23
  Program Name: King Tut Unwrapped
  Time: 8 and 10pm ET (2/21); 12am, 6pm, 8pm, 10pm ET (2/22); and 12am ET (2/23)

What Plagued the Boy King?

Originally published February 16, 2010 | CNN Health | by Val Willingham | After hundreds (well, dozens is more like it) of years of speculation concerning what plagued the Boy King so greatly that it ended his life so soon. The results are in: the legendary Egyptian "boy king" Tutankhamun, commonly known as King Tut, died of conditions including malaria and complications from a leg fracture, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read this article for the at-long-last information for which we Egyptomaniacs have been pining for quite some time. The following source has a lot a great detail and I'd recommend you reading this one as well: Aol News.

Press Conference to be Held at Egyptian Museum

Originally published February 15, 2010 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass | Two very important events to the Egyptology world will occur on February 17: an 11am conference to announce new discoveries surrounding the family of Tutankhamun and the cause of the young king’s death and the publishing of these findings in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). While you wait for those events, here's a video to keep you in the Tutmania mood:

CSI Cairo: How Science Will Solve the Mystery of Tutankhamun

Originally published February 14, 2010 | The Independent | by Andrew Johnson | New technology is helping answer the riddles in the life and death of the boy king; it has cracked other historical cases too including laser scans on the Great Sphinx and other technological efforts put on non-Egyptian, yet ancient things. This article isn't divulging Tutankhamun's test results; it's just a teaser announcing that the results will be revealed this coming Wednesday. The anticipation is killing me! Here's another article reporting on the same news from Monsters and Critics.

Three Decades of Discovery - New Insight to Egypt’s Past

Accessed February 14, 2010 | Egypt Today | by May Kaddah | Over the last three decades, technological advancement has allowed archaeologists to answer longstanding questions and refute misconceptions about missing details of Egypt’s history. From the remains of ancient rulers to Napoleon’s flagship, Egypt Today takes you through some of archaeology’s most significant discoveries in the last 30 years, which includes the following topics: tombs of the pyramid builders, the Valley of the Golden Mummies, DNA analysis of Hatshepsut's tooth, the Theban Mapping Project, tomb of Rameses II's sons, underwater archaeology at Alexandria, and more.

Egypt to Announce King Tutankhamun's DNA Test Results

Originally published January 31, 2010 | Courant | by Paul Schemm | Finally, after much hinting of this event, Hawass et al will be releasing the DNA results of Tutankhamun on Saturday, February 13. Personally, I feel sorry for Tutankhamun's mummy, having already gone through so much over the years, only to be chipped away at to learn a little more about him, particularly his seemingly mysterious lineage. The article also details some background information on Tutankhamun, similar procedures being performed on other royal and unknown mummies, and past endeavors that have revealed important information to the world of Egyptology.

Scientists Pull an Ancient Tooth for DNA

Originally published October 19, 2009 | The Boston Globe | by Carolyn Y. Johnson

A tooth was removed from the head of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian mummy, as the first step in an effort to extract DNA from its pulp. I wonder if they got permission from Zahi Hawass to proceed with this procedure. Usually everything has to go through him first. Me, I'm not one for DNA testing...too much..only because there's only so much of a mummy left, particularly this one, having had several other bits of it extracted and scraped off. Is it really necessary for this testing to be done on this mummy? What sort of revolutionary information will they...ahem...extract from the future results? Certainly, the mystery of this mummy won't be nearly as eye-opening as that of Tutankhamun's mummy. Perhaps it will, but that's a big "maybe."

The section of this article describing the loose jaw is most interesting only because the observations are ones I've never heard before: the ancients may have actually performed the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony rather than executed it metaphorically. I highly doubt it, much like the academics (but they are, after all academics like me, possibly having no experience in the field). They have in their favor other instances where loosened jaws on mummies is commonplace, having to do with the mummification process and rigor mortis. Most of these mummies are the "screaming" kind and have neither suffered a violent death nor experienced an actual opening of their mouths during the ceremony dedicated to doing this metaphorically.

No matter which way you slice it, we shall see what we shall see. Hopefully the extraction of the tooth will not have been for naught.

TB the Culprit in the Great Mummy Whodunnit

Originally published September 29, 2009 | Yahoo! News and AFP

Zahi Hawass to Announce Results of DNA Tests this Fall

Originally published September 20, 2009 | Em Hotep | by Keith Payne

I've been on the edge of my seat for months to hear more news (and results) about this DNA testing procedure on the Dynasty 18 mummies Zahi Hawass had announced a while ago. I'm overzealous to learn the findings are on their merry why to the public this fall. I'm praying that the results have identified more unknown mummies than lost them, as had happened in 2007 with Djehuti-mes I (you know him as Tuthmosis I). What was thought to have been he was a much younger man. Rats! (or is it "Scarabs!"?) Salima Akram will certainly have something to say about this.

More on Dr. Hawass' Lecture and Interview in Indianapolis

Originally published August 27, 2009 | Zahi Hawass' Blog | by Dr. Hawass

This post at Dr. Hawass' blog tells of his lecture in Indianapolis a few weeks ago. For the full interview (at least), follow the link that I've provided on my August 14 blog post. Keith Payne, you were so lucky to have spoken with Dr. Hawass. He must have been so enjoyable to talk to.

In addition to his thoughts, there is an accompanying picture from the event, a link to more of the same topic, and a map of the exact location where he gave his lecture and interview.

Tracing King Tut's Roots

Originally published August 24, 2009 | Asharq Alawsat Newspaper | by Dr. Zahi Hawass

Beginning this article are a few paragraphs dedicated to the importance of Tutankhamun's tomb and its discovery. Then it briefly discusses previous speculation as to Tutankhamun's parentage, which includes well-known names such and Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and Amenhotep III. Some examination of these mummies is given in detail, followed by the process that an Egytian team is pursuing to perform DNA and CT scan tests on Tutankhamun's and the aforementioned figures' mummies.

Although Hawass finds justification for extracting DNA samples from these mummies, one is still taking a piece of that mummy, desiccating it, even if it might just be a minute piece. I'm glad someone else has this job; I wouldn't be able to do it without thinking too much. How the Ancient Egyptians would be completely shocked to learn that, not only are their mummies on display in museums throughout the world, stripped of their protective amulets, but also being chipped away at!

Exclusive Interview: Dr Zahi Hawass in Indianapolis

Originally published August 10, 2009 | Heritage Key | by Keith Payne

Thanks to Ann for leading me to Heritage Key, where there are many articles and more that focus on Ancient Egyptian history and related topics.

The following article is Keith Payne's one-on-one interview with Dr. Hawass after his lecture in Indianapolis for the Tutankhamun exhibit. They discuss royal mummies, Tutankhamun's heritage, Nefertiti, advice for would-be archaeologists and Egyptologists, DNA testing, CT scanning technology, and more. The article is accompanied by photographs of Hawass' presentation, which capture the man's vitality and passion he has for his country's ancient history. There are also many links to resources on similar articles and opportunities for discussion (don't you just love the read-write-web?)

Domestic Dog Origins Challenged

Originally published August 3, 2009 | BBC News | by Judith Burns

Contrary to the "premature" belief that the domestication of dogs originated in East Asia, owing to its apparent variety of canines, the thought is now that domesticated dogs originated in Africa, a country with just as many varieties. The article draws evidence from village dogs in Africa (including Egypt).

Although this article isn't strictly about Ancient Egypt, it's still an interesting read in terms of how far back dog domestication goes (as far as 40,000 years ago). In addition, the Ancient Egyptians were no strangers to keeping dogs as pets and hunting companions, as is evident in tomb paintings.

Be Inspired by King Tut Exhibit in San Francisco

Originally published July 4, 2009 | Santa Cruz Sentinel

Steven Martin, Michael Smith, and the Bangles are shining examples of the steadfast interest in ancient Egypt. The author of this article explores various areas that captivate us: Tutankhamun, unsolved mysteries, mummies and the Afterlife, and pyramids and papyri.

Video - A Rich Exhibit: the Tomb of Tutankhamun

Originally published June 19, 2009 | San Francisco News | by Spencer Christian

Follow this link to watch a video where Dr. Hawass gives Spencer Christian a tour of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, speaking about the importance of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. This article ends with links to various resources.

Egypt Opens Second DNA Lab for Mummies

Originally published June 1, 2009 | Xinhua News | by Xiong Tong

The article describes the reason for this second Egyptian lab (to execute comparative studies; with a single lab, that is hard to do) and it's priority (to discover Tutankhamun's parentage). The complete results will be published in August. The process is sponsored and will be documented by the Discovery Channel.

DNA Test to Discover Tutankhamun's Parentage

Originally published June 1, 2009 | Google/Agence France Presse

After having objected to previous inquiries to learn Tutankhamun's parentage, Dr. Zahi Hawass gives permission to Egyptian researchers to conduct DNA tests, the results of which will be published in February.

Egypt to Present Pharaoh Tutankhamun's Family in August

Originally published June 1, 2009 | Amigos de la Egiptologia | by Roberto Cerracin

Dr. Hawass announces that Tutankhamun's genealogy of relatives will be released in August. This comes after having gone through DNA testing at the Faculty of Medicine at Cairo University, with comparative tests results done at the Cairo Museum.

I've provided a link to the article's original translation.