King Tutankhamun Died of Blood Disorder, Not Malaria, Study Says

According to German scientists, ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun was probably killed by the genetic blood disorder sickle cell disease instead of malaria as suggested by an earlier research study.

A team from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine announced their findings Wednesday, June 23, 2010 in Hamburg, Germany.  They questioned the conclusions of a major study released in February that suggested by use of DNA testing and CT scans that the young pharaoh had died of malaria after suffering a fall.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a letter by the German researchers claiming that scrutiny of King Tut's foot bones indicated sickle cell disease.

According to the letter, the German researchers state:  "(The) radiological signs are compatible with osteopathologic lesions seen in sickle cell disease (SCD), a hematological disorder that occurs at gene carrier rates of nine percent to 22 percent in inhabitants of Egyptian oases."

The researchers feel further DNA testing should be done to find a definitive answer as to how the young pharaoh actually did die.

Sickle cell disease is a common genetic disorder where the blood cells form a crescent shape rather than being smooth and round.  This causes blood flow to be blocked and leads to chronic pain, infections and tissue death.

King Tutankhamun died around the age of 19 after ruling Egypt for ten years between 1333 to 1324 B.C as "The Boy King".  The exact cause of his death has long been cause for speculation and rumor.

Source:  Discovery News

57 Ancient Egyptian Tombs Containing Mummies Discovered in Lahun

Fifty-seven ancient Egyptian tombs, most of which contain sarcophagi have been unearthed by a team of archaeologists led by Abdel Rahman El-Aydi, according to Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.  The find is located at Lahoun, in Fayoum, approximately 70 miles (100 kilometers) south of Cairo.  This is the same area where, last year, 53 tombs dating to various periods of ancient Egypt were discovered.

The oldest of the 57 tombs dates back to approximately Egypt's first and second dynasties, 2750 B.C., with twelve dating to the 18th Dynasty during the second millennium.  We are familiar with the 18th Dynasty thanks to names such as Queen Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun and Akhenaten.

The 18th Dynasty ornately painted wooden sarcophagi contain mummies covered in linen decorated with religious texts from the Book of the Dead. 

According to Abdel Rahman El-Aydi, one of the oldest tombs discovered is almost completely intact.

Thirty-one of the tombs date to approximately 2030-1840 B.C. and contain painted scenes depicting ancient Egyptian deities like Horus, Hathor, Khnum and Amun.

Follow this link to see a photo of one of the wooden sarcophagi Lahun 20th Tomb 0-52.

Tutankhamun's Leftover Linens Give New Insight Into Mummification

Leftover linens used to wrap the body of King Tutankhamun are the highlight of the "Tutankhamun's Funeral" exhibition at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The bandages run from 15.4 feet to 15.3 inches (4.70 meters to 39 centimeters) and consist of 50 linen pieces that were woven especially for King Tutankhamun upon his death and mummification.

Now, after a century of being stored in large ceramic jars at the museum's Department of Egyptian Art, the bandages have been put on permanent display at the museum's Egyptian galleries. 

Dorothea Arnold, curator of Egyptian art at the museum told Discovery News that the linens used on King Tutankhamun's actual mummy were decayed because of the excessive use of resins.  The linens on display at the museum were not exposed to the resins and are the best-preserved lot of Tutankhamun's wrappings.

The linens look a great deal like modern-day gauze bandages.  They bear an inscription containing the date the linens were woven.  One linen features the inscription "Year 8 of the Lord of Two Lands, Nebkheperure".  "Nebkheperure" was Tutankhamun's throne name and "Year 8" was the final year of his life (1341-1323 B.C.).

The jars containing the leftover linens were discovered in a pit 110 meters (360.8 feet) away from the undiscovered tomb of King Tutankhamun.  The jars also contained bits and pieces of pottery, animal remains, dried flowers, kerchiefs and embalming material leading the discoverer, Theodore M. Davis to believe he'd uncovered the tomb of a poor man.

For more information about the linens, their discovery and to see a couple of photos of them you can check out the Discovery article or the article from MSNBC.com's Technology and Science section.