King Tut - murder or natural causes?

King Tut

LUXOR, Egypt (AP) - A team of researchers briefly removed King Tut's mummy from its tomb Wednesday and laid bare his bones for a CT scan that could solve an enduring mystery: Was it murder or natural causes that killed Egypt's boy pharaoh 3,000 years ago?

For the first time in 82 years King Tut's mummy was taken from its tomb for this test - and was found to be in need of restoration to protect it and preserve it for future generations.

Hopefully they will be able to determine the cause of death and the age of King Tut when he died.

This is part of a 5 year project to learn more about Egyptian mummies and their health before they died that is being funded by National Geographic. They will also be able to learn more about the condition of the mummies and develop ways to restore them.

This should be an interesting documentary when it is done. National Geographic always does great work and Zahi Hawass is always passionate about the history of Egypt.

jm

Tut's mom and dad were basically erased from Egyptian history, after his dad basically revamped the Egyptian religion, capital, etc. (Ahkenaton & Nefertiti). His father was killed, and many believe Nefertiti then became pharoah (the name is eluding me right now, but started with an S). Anyhow, this name was either her name as pharoah, or the name of a second husband, etc. After this, Tut then came to power, and it seems he attempted to revive some of his dad's ideas. Stands to reason he was killed, and the available evidence then shows a concerted effort to erase his parents from the histories, and that they used items from his parents' tombs for his tomb (as the whole process was rather hasty, as they weren't exactly planning for a young boy to die). Well, I should state that this is how I know it, and believe it to be...based on what I've seen of it all.

that was my understanding also -- this article says that they may be able to pinpoint his age which they believe to be about 17 now. There was also mention that there is some belief that instead of being the son of Akhenaten he may have been his half-brother -- that is something I hadn't heard before - have you?

jm

Maybe they won't be able to determin the cause - famous pharaohs curse was released

check this out

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, who supervised the first CT scan of the mummy of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun this week, said the experience suggested it might be unwise to write off the legendary "curse of the pharaohs."

The CT, or computed tomography, scan produced three-dimensional images X-ray of the boy pharaoh's remains.

"I cannot dismiss the legend of the curse because today many things happened. We almost had an accident in a car, the wind blew up in the Valley of the Kings and the computer of the CT scan was completely stopped for two hours," Hawass said in videotaped remarks released by his office on Friday.

full story

Personally I don't buy it, but there are thousand mysterious things on this planet

Jazzgul -- thanks for the link -- that was a great article.

From the article

Hawass, well known around the world for his enthusiastic television appearances in documentaries on ancient Egypt, has previously spoken about spooky experiences he has had while excavating tombs and taking mummies out of sarcophagi.

"I think we should still believe in the curse of the pharaohs," he said from the tomb of Tutankhamun.

While Zahi Hawass can sometimes be overbearing you have to admit that his enthusiasm has done a lot to bring the study of ancient Egypt to the masses. I also think that while he doesn't really seem to be the type of person to believe in the curse he isn't above using it to get publicity.

I can't wait to hear the results.

thanks again for the link
jm

Just found an interesting article about TUTANKHAMUN"S CURSE

Apparently there is big superstition about the whole curse, but somehow I cannot imagine that Zahi Hawass would fell into it - maybe he neds more funds

This is so exciting. I've been dabbling in egyptology for years, and really admire Dr. Hawass. I can't wait to hear what they find out.

jazzgul - another great link -- thanks --

I personally don't think that Dr. Hawass would believe in a curse either -- but the curse does bring focus onto the subject. I wouldn't be above using it to keep the interest up as you can get more funds from people for things they are interested in instead of trying to convince them of the things to be learned by the studies of dried up old mummies. And archaeology is a field you are always trying to convince people to finance for you.

jm

Curse, or 2000 year old microbes that nobody has resistance to? Hehe...

Anyhow...

There was also mention that there is some belief that instead of being the son of Akhenaten he may have been his half-brother -- that is something I hadn't heard before - have you?

I've heard the idea before, but I doubt it. Not impossible though. Supposedly, Tut had the same birth defects as Akhenaton did (forget the condition, but large feet, elongated head, etc.) and that would be more likely if he was his son, rather than half-brother. The problem is that they (the Egyptian priests) went to great pains to destroy their legacy and their names from history, so the records are sketchy at best, and weren't intended to be found. Much of what is currently being learned about them is from treasures in Tut's tomb, that they can trace back to being refinished or reinscribed, from Ahkenaton's tomb, etc.

[edit on 7-1-2005 by Gazrok]

Originally posted by Gazrok

There was also mention that there is some belief that instead of being the son of Akhenaten he may have been his half-brother -- that is something I hadn't heard before - have you?

Supposedly, Tut had the same birth defects as Akhenaton did (forget the condition, but large feet, elongated head, etc.) and that would be more likely if he was his son, rather than half-brother.

[edit on 7-1-2005 by Gazrok]

I think it was Marfans that caused those defects. I also think that there has been speculation that Abraham Lincoln had it also.

jm

Originally posted by Gazrok
Supposedly, Tut had the same birth defects as Akhenaton did (forget the condition, but large feet, elongated head, etc.) and that would be more likely if he was his son, rather than half-brother. [edit on 7-1-2005 by Gazrok]

Large feet ??? - Huge feet



Maybe he was an Alien ???
( I think I've read that somewhere, cannot find this right now. It was sort of archeological conspiracy
site. And it was said there, that Akhenaten came from the space to make order upon Egipt and that was the reason he changed religion and removed all the mighty priests - no evidence of course)

[edit on 7-1-2005 by jazzgul]

Wasn't Tut's death due to inter-family marriage? I had thought that to insure that the next pharaoh of Aton (we are talking New Dynasty, correct? When there was only one god, Aton?) was of 'pure blood' the families was only allowed to marry within itself? This would explain Tut's large feet, bulbous belly (wall drawings) and elongated head. That's just my two cents... or... 53 cents, whatever.

Nice and easy-to-digest story about Tut you can find here
and about his possible father Akhenaten there

the whole story of 18th Dynasty is interesting


hit button to early again -guess need more sleep lol


[edit on 7-1-2005 by jazzgul]

Picture of Tut

Here is one of the first images of what King Tut looked like from the scans they are doing

jm

edited to add -- "I just love this stuff!"

[edit on 8-1-2005 by justme1640]

i just watched a documentry about Akhenaten and it was saying how it is possible that he was blind and that Nefertiti was his co regent.
And so until Akhenaten's death she was as powerful as him.
Maybe tut was also going blind and the priests were worried that the line of pharoahs whould become dependant on there wives.

I saw that documentry also -- it was interesting-- didn't they think that Ay (not sure of that spelling) did it? He was the man who was responsible for Tut after his father died. Or maybe it was a different docu. I think there have been a few on lately on different channels.

I'm glad they put out a teaser of one of the scans -- I hope they continue to release them -- it will make it seem quicker until they have the new show done.

jm

Doesn't anybody else think this skull is abnormal?



Abraham Lincoln didn't look anything like this...

Doesn't anybody else think this skull is abnormal?

Abraham Lincoln didn't look anything like this...

As I mentioned, it's a condition of the affliction they had. Of course, Lincoln also wore a big hat (perhaps it hid an elongated skull?)

Lincoln pic

I hope this link works since we can't upload right now -- but I would say that his head was elongated. Perhaps not to the same degree as Tut's (which we couldn't really compare unless we were able to put them side by side) but elongated. But that is just one of the signs of it like long hands and feet in addition to being taller than average. If you look up famous people with Marfans you will probably be surprised at the names there.

jm

How strange was King Tut.
He seems to be mixed up by Velikovsky as a result of an Oedipus complex.
a search result

An applicable page

As the song goes it was a bad bad thing.