News from the Valley of the Kings

Physorg have a report of the DNA study results set to be revealed in a press conference on Wednesday.  The two headlines are as follows:

"Many scholars have hypothesized that Tutankhamun's death was attributable to an accident, such as a fall from his chariot or a kick by a horse or other animal; septicemia or fat embolism secondary to a femur fracture; murder by a blow to the back of the head; or poisoning," the study said.

But genetic testing found evidence that Tutankhamun had been infected with plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes an often deadly form of malaria.

And on parentage:

Using partial Y-chromosome information, the researchers determined that Akhenaten, the controversial pharaoh who ruled from around 1351-1334 BC and tried to radically transform religion in ancient Egypt, was Tut's father, and that Tutankhamun's mother was Akhenaten's sister.

Presumably the "Akhenaten" referred to here is the mummy found in KV55, the most debated tomb in the Valley of the Kings.  For that we will have to wait for the press report. The study also confirmed that Tutankhamun had a club foot and walked with a cane like his father.  That's something that was aleady strongly suspected but I'm guessing it's now proven fact.  He was also the father of the two foetuses found with him in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

The press conference tomorrow will be very interesting but I thought people would welcome the scoop since it's in circulation with a big thank you to Michael Stephens for spotting the Physorg article and giving me the heads up.