Plans to X-ray King Tut

2004-11-15 14:07

Egypt - The mummy of King Tutankhamun is to be X-rayed in an attempt to solve the mystery of how the teenage Pharaoh died at the age of 17, Egypt's chief archaeologist said on Sunday.

Zahi Hawass said that this month, the mummy will be taken from King Tut's tomb in the Valley of the Kings, outside the southern city of Luxor, and flown to Cairo, where it will be X-rayed in the Egyptian Museum. It will be the first time in 82 years that Tutankhamun's remains leave the tomb.

"The question of whether he was murdered or not will be answered completely," Hawass said.

The short life of Tutankhamun has fascinated people since his tomb was discovered in 1922, revealing a trove of fabulous treasures in gold and precious stones that showed the wealth and craftsmanship of the Pharaonic court.

King Tut ruled about 3 300 years ago. He ascended to the throne at about the age of eight and died around 1323 BC at 17.

Several factors have provoked questions about the cause of death. Hawass said the conditions of his burial in the tomb seemed "hurried".

An X-ray in 1968 showed bone fragments inside the skull, suggesting he was killed by a blow to the head. Hawass said that X-ray machine was "not sophisticated enough to find out about the damage" to his skull.

This year's X-ray will be conducted by a German CT scan machine donated by Siemens and National Geographic, Hawass said.

"Before the beginning of 2005, the question of King Tut's (death) will be answered and his mummy will be restored," Hawass said. "The mummy is not complete. It consists of scattered bones."

The mummy has not left the tomb since the British archaeologist Howard Carter excavated the tomb. Hawass said Carter's team damaged the mummy as they used sharp tools to prize off the famous gold and blue mask.

After the X-ray and restoration, the authorities will decide whether to exhibit the mummy or return it to the tomb.

- AP