Along with DNA investigations, the scientific testing of a tooth found in a relic box containing some of the queen's embalmed organs was key to identifying the mummy as Hatshepsut's. The molar matched a gap in the jaw of the mummy.
The discovery has not been independently reviewed by other experts. . . . The mummy identified as Hatshepsut shows an obese woman, who died in her 50s, and probably had diabetes and liver cancer, Dr Hawass said. Her left hand is positioned against her chest, a sign of royalty in ancient Egypt.
DNA bone samples taken from the mummy's hip bone and femur are being compared with the mummy of Hatshepsut's grandmother, Amos Nefreteri, said Yehia Zakaria Gad, a molecular geneticist who is on Dr Hawass's team. While scientists are still matching those mitochondrial DNA sequences, Dr Gad said that preliminary results were "very encouraging".
This account of the Hatshepsut mummy story by Zahi Hawass on his own website is actually very good, and is accompanied by some excellent photographs of the mummy and x-ray photographs of the tooth.
We decided that we would use this lab first to test DNA samples from Hatshepsut, her great-grandmother Ahmose Nefertari, her father, Thutmose I, and the wet-nurse, Sitre-In. DNA testing had been carried out on a number of 18th Dynasty royal mummies in the mid-1990’s. The methods that those researchers used were highly invasive. Nine different holes where samples were taken by the previous researchers in the 1990’s were identified in the mummy of Thutmose I by the current team. This time, we used a much less invasive technique that relied on a bone marrow biopsy needle. Multiple samples were obtained by entering the same puncture hole from a number of different angles, minimizing damage to the mummies. The great difficulty of using DNA to learn about ancient remains is that it is fragile, and decays quickly. It is not at all easy to obtain a long enough sequence from the genetic code of a mummy to tell anything useful about it. Many people have expressed skepticism that it would be possible to get a useful sequence from these mummies. However, using a new assay kit that had been developed for forensic use and had only been on the market a few months when we conducted our tests, we were able to retrieve and amplify partial sequences of both mitochondrial DNA, which is passed from mother to daughter, and more fragile nuclear DNA, which may be able to reveal something about Hatshepsut’s relationship to the mummy known as Thutmose I and the mummy of Thutmose II. Our genetic research is still progressing, and it will take some time to perfect the procedures that we are using and obtain complete results.
Unvarnished Tooth : If it's ever confirmed, this is one of the biggest announcements in the history of archeology. If. See, there's this tooth. But before we get to the tooth, let's look at the hype.
When the King Tut exhibit opened in February at the Franklin Institute, special guest Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, gave a stirring speech, predicting stunning Egyptological finds soon, including the identification of: The mummy of Maatkare Hatshepsut, one of the first female rulers in history. Antony and Cleopatra's tombs. Either one, if confirmed, would be a wow with exclamation points.
Hawass, it should be said, is both an eminent archaeologist and a tireless promoter. He tromps the globe, militating for Egyptian antiquities to be returned to Egypt. (Rightly: If Egypt can prove that specific items have been stolen, the countries in possession should return them. Failing such proof, it'll be a hard fight.) Hawass likes TV. He's been helping the Discovery Channel make a documentary about the search for Hatshepsut. Airtime: July 15. Oh, hey - We found her! We have proof! Just in time!
ABC has a 7 photo slide show of the mummy considered to be Hatshepsut.
Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's greatest female Pharaoh died in pain probably due to caner that spread to her pelvic bones, a new study by researchers has revealed.. . . .Preliminary examination of the 3,000-year-old mummy has now revealed that Hatshepsut was obese, had decayed teeth and possibly suffered from a skin
disease.'Her mouth shows the presence of many dental cavities, periapical (root) inflammation and pockets,' said Ashraf Selim, radiologist at Cairo University, who examined the mummy. The mummy also showed signs of a rather disgusting skin disease on the face and neck, which, Selim believes, might have added to Hatshepsut's health problems.
1 comment:
I saw the Discovery program last night. It seemed strange that Hawass solved all the problems himself, like going back to get a "forgotten" mummy out of a tomb and thinking to look for the funerary box later when they had difficulty getting DNA from the mummies they had. He promotes himself best of all.
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