Friday, June 15, 2007

Finding Hatshepsut

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2007/849/eg3.htm
A useful synthesis of the past and present of Hatshepsut. Nevine el-Aref gives a brief description of the reign of the female Pharaoh, takes a look at the tombs, caches and mummies most closely associated with her, and discusses the speculation about which (if any) of the mummies might be Hatshepsut herself. The two most probable candidates are both in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and Hawass announced this week that he may authorize DNA tests to establish which of them might be the lost queen:

Talking at the Metropolitan Museum during the inauguration of the Hatshepsut exhibition, Hawass said that while they had considered DNA testing the problem is that "there are mistakes about 40 per cent of the time. We might, though, experiment with an Egyptian team, with the mummy of Thutmosis II and with the mummies thought to be of Hatshepsut. If they are related, maybe this will settle the issue."

Examinations are now in their final stages and Hawass will declare which is the mummy of Hatshepsut at the end of this month during an international press conference at the Egyptian Museum.


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