|
In October of 1926, Carter re-wrapped the body and laid
it, in its tray of sand, back within the outermost coffin and its stone
sarcophagus. A plate glass lid was laid on top to protect the coffin.
The mummy then lay undisturbed in its original tomb for
another 40 years, until 1968.
The 1968 Examination
An anatomist from the University of Liverpool in England and a team of
investigators received permission from the Egyptian Department of Antiquities
to reexamine the mummy in 1968. They had hoped to use the latest x-ray
technology, but the Egyptian government would not allow them to remove
the body, so they had to settle for a portable x-ray machine from the
1930s.
Their intent was to compare the body to other mummies of
the 18th Dynasty, but the poor condition of Tutankhamun’s mummy and
the outmoded equipment made this difficult. In the end, the teams concluded
that:
- Two bone fragments in the skull and possible signs of
hemorrhaging may have been caused by a blow to the head (perhaps indicating
murder).
- The sternum and some frontal ribs were missing (perhaps
indicating that the king’s chest had been crushed in a chariot
accident).
- The spine showed signs of scoliosis (supporting
the idea that the king was physically frail).
The 1978 Examination
An American team led by a University of Michigan professor of orthodontics
conducted another x-ray of Tutankhamun’s skull in 1978. They concluded
that the king had enjoyed excellent dental health, and that he was perhaps
23 to 27 years old when he died. Most Egyptologists disagree with this
estimate of Tutankhamun’s age on both archaeological and physiological
grounds.
Blood and craniofacial analysis supported the idea that
King Tutankhamun was related to the body found in Tomb 55, possibly that
of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun’s probable father.
Continue to The
2005 Examination. >>
|
