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.

Egyptian Priests Ate Like Gods and Paid by Dying Young

Originally published February 26, 2010 | Times Online | by Russell Jenkins | The following is an excerpt - click the above link to read the story in full:

Egyptologists and scientists at the University of Manchester have disclosed in The Lancet the cost of keeping the gods happy. By combining translations of hieroglyphic inscriptions on temple walls showing details of food offered to the gods with analysis of mummified remains, they have assessed their atherosclerosis, the build-up of fat and calcium in the arteries.

The findings show that cardiovascular disease affected the privileged of Ancient Egypt long before fried food and a sedentary life made heart attacks and strokes a modern killer. Rosalie David, of the university’s KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology, said that it was a telling message: :Live like a god and you will pay with your health.:

Other sources reporting on the same news: Earth Times and Yahoo! News UK

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.

Ancient Men Had Strokes

Originally published January 25, 2010 | Zee News | An excerpt:

Ancient Egyptian mummies, some as old as 3,500 years, showed hardening of arteries, suggesting that heart attacks and stroke afflicted the ancients too.

"Atherosclerosis, despite differences in ancient and modern lifestyles, was rather common in ancient Egyptians of high socio-economic status living," says Gregory Thomas, clinical professor of cardiology at the University of California-Irvine (UCI).

"The findings suggest that we may have to look beyond modern risk factors to fully understand the disease," said Thomas, principal study co-investigator.

Forensic Aspects of Ancient Egypt at the University of London

Originally published October 1, 2009 | Challenging the Past Blog | by Marsia Sfakianou Bealby

Follow the link to download the flier for this event at the University of London, which will examine mummies, diseases, and other scientific techniques. Sign up by October 17 for the October 31 program.

TB the Culprit in the Great Mummy Whodunnit

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