King Tut's Death Explained
 

One of the many fascinating articles I've read today about the discovery of what killed King Tut: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/16...ex.html?hpt=C2 For those not into reading a long article, the basics are that he died from malaria and complications from a leg fracture. DNA has proven that he was the son of Amenhotep III & that his parents were siblings. Genetics (inbreeding) are blamed for several medical issues that Tut had.

(This is a cross-post with the Fodorite Lounge)

I heard this on NPR this afternoon. Very interesting! I'll go read the article. Thanks!

according to another source
Tut was the <u>grandson,/u> of Amenhotep III
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_egypt_king_tut

Sounds like they need to compare data, eh? I guess what's important is that they both agree he was related to Amenhotep.

<i>"He was the son and successor of Akhenaten, the controversial reform pharaoh who ruled from about 1351 to 1334 B.C." </i> NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/science/17tut.html

seems the CNN repotrer/editor did a superficial job

Yes, the NY Times article said the relationship between the members were confirmed -- family DNA and all. But they didn't mention the mother was almost surely not Quenn Nefertiti but Akhenaton's favorite other, secondary wife (as shown in the exhibit in San Francisco). I don't think they can say 'son of' but just 'related' ...

I was in Egypt in Oct and had seen the King Tut show in San Francisco just before going and was fascinated by Akhenaton (though I'm not sure of the usual spelling). He changed the whole focus of worship from multiple Gods to one God, as symbolized by the Sun. Went against everything that Egypt was used to. They went back to the norm after he died.

When in Valley of the Kings, no one in our group wanted to visit King Tut's tomb because it was an add'l $20 and our guide said people would be disappointed. I was alone but it didn't disappoint me.
For some reason the paintings on the wall were more vivid than I've seen them in pictures and I really wanted to experience the space in which Harry Carter had found the rooms. It amazed me to be there after reading so much about the discovery.

A large group came in and then they left, and I then discovered that against the wall behind me was the mummy of King Tut under controlled temps in glass plus a fan for others of us. I didn't think it was a great decision to expose him like that, since they are shrivelled up after all the processes (natural and what they do). And I felt I was invading his privacy :-) BUT, I was alone in that room with King Tut for about 5 minutes and I now sort of marvel over that.
We also saw Ramses II in the Cairo Museum and it's amazing to know that you're seeing what remains of the physical being who lived at the time of Moses -- though looking at mummies is not one of my favorite things.

- Andrys
http://www.pbase.com/andrys/egypt_jordan
(a barely started gallery from the trip)

There's still conflicting dating as to whether Ramses II was the pharoah of the Moses time!

I too understand from many readings that Ahkenaton was the father of Tut! But Nefretiti was not his mum!

Okay, more info! and images. I was wrong that they could not determine (as they see it) who King Tut's father and mother were.

I had always read that a favorite of Akhenaten's, Queen Tiya aka Tiye, was likely his mother. Turns out it was Akhenaten's sister!

And, in keeping with tradition, King Tut married his own sister, Ankhesenpaaten. According to Wikipedia, they recently recovered 'part of a limestone block depicting Tutankhamun and his wife Ankhesenamen, along with text. These identify both Tutankhamun and his wife Ankhesenpaaten as "children of the king's body" or the biological son and daughter of Akhenaten.'

See the news story slideshow at http://bit.ly/kingtut_dna
(it's Yahoo). #6 is how it looked when I was in the room.

And they show ONE picture of the interesting looking Akhenaten. The reason: All that's left of his is mostly a skull. BUT, the thing that interested me most was that this skull has a SHORT face, the opposite of the representations of Akhenaten.

(I wonder how they determined he was Akhenaten...)

- Andrys
http://www.pbase.com/egypt_jordan

Genetic issues happen on those one branched family trees!

Sandi

Moses is considered a "mythological" figure, by many archaelogists and biblical scholars. the story about the Israelites in Egypt is far before the bible becomes history at the times of the kings, about 3000 ya

i recommend reading
"The Bible Unearthed" by Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman
The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts

aby

Y'all might want to read James Patterson's book The Murder of King Tut. He puts forward another theory about Tut's death. The book says Kiya, a harlot, was Tut's mother' she died giving birth to Tut.

Kiya was considered to have been Ahkanaten's 2nd wife, Nefretiti being #1. And since they've dated Kiya's death in the 12th years of Ahkanaten's reign, the same year Tut was born... she could have been his mother.

Patterson sure didn't know anything more than what Zahi Hawass already knew and what has already appeared on Discovery channel.

sandi,
I was at the SF King Tut show which had a focus on Ahkanaten and Kiya. Don't know where the DNA fits in with Kiya though.

aby, I was in Jordan in November for a week and we visited a lot of sites having to do with what they consider the historical Moses. I'm talking more of what common understandings of more vague periods are (religion-based) and in this case some archeologists still think it's possible that Ramses II ruled during the period of time which some date the Moses stories from.