Comments on News from the Valley of the Kings: Genetic Sudoko

During the late 1960s, the late professor Harrison...

2010-06-23T10:07:42.018+01:00

During the late 1960s, the late professor Harrison examined the remains in KV55 and Tut establishing the same rare blood group for both.

All the modern examinations of the remains from KV55 seem adamant that they are of a young man aged no more than about 26 on death.

Prof Harrison concluded that Akhenaton was the son of Amenhotep and Tiye while Smenkhare (KV55)and Tut were the sons of Amenhotep and another secondary wife (Kiye). Chronoligically this still seems to be the most likely order.

Apparently the King Tut Unwrapped documentary has ...

2010-03-07T20:01:06.053Z

Apparently the King Tut Unwrapped documentary has already been broadcast in the UK and I managed to miss it! http://press.discovery.com/uk/dsc/programs/king-tut-unwrapped/

Mad as hell!

However, it seems logical that Horemheb would have...

2010-03-05T16:09:25.983Z

However, it seems logical that Horemheb would have married a Royal bride (in this case either the previous King's daughter or the aunt of the ruler before that). Very likely Mutnodjmet was the last surviving Amarna royal unless some of the younger princesses were still around. Anyway, there must be a reason why Horemheb is regarded as the last Pharoah of the 18th Dynasty rather than the founder of the 19th (which he was, in fact).

The remains Hawass was searching for are supposed ...

2010-03-05T07:25:19.026Z

The remains Hawass was searching for are supposed to belong to Queen Mutnedjemet, the wife of King Horemheb. Sceletal fragments of a female were found in his tomb at Saqqara.
But it is by no means proven that this Mutnedjemet was the same person as Nefertiti`s sister who`s name is recently read as Mutbenret. There were quite a few ladies with the name Mutnedjemet around in that time.

Maybe it is due to this uncertainty that Hawass didn`t search harder.

Having watched the Discovery programme last night ...

2010-03-04T04:34:40.218Z

Having watched the Discovery programme last night a couple of things impressed me. Despite Hawass wanting the DNA testing to be an all Egyptian affair, the top German experts soon took over and ran the show from the DNA lab in the Cairo museum basement. The testing was also replicated at another lab in Egypt but why werent samples also sent off to a lab in Europe or the USA to give the study respectability.
Secondly Hawasses attempt to find the remains of Mudjommet, Nefertitis sister, (lost supposedly for 30 years) seemed very half hearted which if DNA analysis supported the fact that the younger lady is not only TUTs mother but also Nefertiti is the last thing, the very last thing, that Hawass wants. Otherwise he would have egg on his face having gone all out in the past to deny that this is Nefertiti.