Will the real Tutankhamun finally make himself known?

16 February 2010 - Filed under Tutankhamun

Staff at the Tutankhamun Exhibition showing in Dorchester are eagerly awaiting the results of a momentous test carried out on the mummy of Tutankhamun. The results to be announced at a press conference in Cairo on Wednesday 17th February may change our knowledge of this world famous pharaoh by revealing who Tutankhamun really was.

Ever since Tutankhamun was discovered in his tomb in 1922 by the British archaeologist Howard Carter debate has raged as to the real identity of Tutankhamun. In recent years the advance of DNA profiling has given hope that Tut’s family connections could possibly be revealed.

Can the DNA tests really help in establishing Tut’s parentage? Well yes and no. It depends on a number of factors.

Firstly a number of very important and interesting mummies that could play a vital role in Tutankhamun’s family tree have yet to be identified. Although possible DNA relationships maybe established with known but anonymous mummies the really important ones are yet to be identified by conventional archaeological means. Any identification would be by “reverse engineering” and therefore circumstantial.

Secondly the chances of establishing a successful DNA sequence for the mummy are not good. Professor Woodward who carried out tests on 27 royal mummies was only able to establish 12 successful sequences.

The results of the DNA tests will be on display at The Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester from Thursday, 18th February.
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Tim Batty may be contacted on 01305 269741.

Digital images of the Mummy of Tutankhamun and Tutankhamun’s gold mummy mask are available on request from The Tutankhamun Exhibition, Dorchester. 01305 269741 or by contacting tim@world-heritage.org.uk

2010-02-16  »  admin