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tutankhamun's ct scan
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On January 5, 2005,
the mummy of Tutankhamun (c. 1355-1346 B.C.) was removed from its tomb in
the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) for the first time in almost eighty years.
An all-Egyptian team, led by Zahi Hawass, lifted the fragile remains,
still resting in the tray of sand in which it had been placed by Carter's
team, from their resting place inside the outermost coffin and sarcophagus
of the king, and carried them to a state-of-the-art CT scan machine
(housed inside a trailer) donated to the Supreme Council of Antiquities by
Siemens and the National Geographic Society. The scan took fifteen minutes
and produced over 1700 images. These images were studied by an Egyptian
team, under the auspices of Madiha Khattab, Dean of the Faculty of
Medicine, Cairo University, and then by a foreign team composed of experts
from Italy and Switzerland.
The scientists who have been working to analyze the CT scan images of
Tutankhamun came together in a series of meetings on March 3 and 4 to
discuss their findings. The scientists were unanimous on almost all
points. Their conclusions were as follows:
State of Mummy:
The remains of the pharaoh are in very poor shape, due primarily to the
damage done by Carter's team. The body is in a number of pieces, with
both upper and lower limbs dismantled. Many parts present at the
original examination are now missing, although many fragments remain
loose in the sand tray. Both bones and skin are broken in numerous
places. The king's arms, originally folded across the chest, are now by
his sides.
Age at Death:
Tutankhamun was about 19 years old when he died, based on the following
observations, and using modern developmental tables:
The fusion of the epiphyseal plates (the parts
of the bone that is responsible for growth until a certain age)
matches the development of a young man of 18 or more, and 20 or
less.
All of the cranial sutures are still at least partly
open.
The wisdom teeth are not completely erupted. One of
these (upper left) is impacted, and there is a slight thinning of the
sinus cavity above. This was not life-threatening, and there are no
signs of infection.
General Health: Judging from his bones, the king was generally in
good health. (His internal organs, as is usual for Egyptian mummies, are
not present in the body, and thus have not been analysed). There are no
signs of malnutrition or infectious disease during childhood. His teeth
are in excellent condition, and he appears to have been well fed and
cared for.
Size in life: Tutankhamun was approximately 170cm (5.5') tall, as
extrapolated from the measurement of the tibia (lower leg). He was
slightly built (gracile).
Skull shape: Tutankhamun had a very elongated (dolichocephalic)
skull. The cranial sutures are not prematurely fused, so this is most
likely due to normal anthropological variation rather than any
pathology.
Cleft palette and overbite: The king had a small cleft in his
hard palette (the bony roof of his mouth), not associated with an
external expression such as a hare-lip or other facial deformation. His
lower teeth are slightly misaligned. He has large front incisors and the
overbite characteristic of other kings of from his family (the
Tuthmoside line).
Scoliosis: There is a slight bend in the spine,
However, the scientists agree that this is not a pathological scoliosis,
since there is no rotation and no associated deformation of the
vertebrae. This bend most likely reflects the way the mummy was
positioned by the embalmers.
Brain extraction: The nasal septa were
destroyed by the embalmers, and the brain was extracted through the
nose.
Embalming of head - principal route: All the
scientists agree, based on the differing densities of the materials and
the way in which the embalming liquids (now completely solidified)
appear, that various types of these liquids were introduced to the
cranial cavity several times through the nose. At first, the body was
lying on its back, and the embalming liquid pooled along the back of the
skull. Later, the head was tipped back in some way, and embalming liquid
pooled in the top of the skull.
Possible second route for
embalming of the head: Part of the team sees evidence for a second
route through which embalming liquid was introduced to the lower cranial
cavity and neck. This would have been through the back of the upper
neck. In this area, there are two layers of solidified material of a
different density from that seen above in this area.
The first cervical (topmost)
vertebra and the foramen magnum (large opening at the base of the skull)
are fractured here, which according to this theory may have happened
when the hole was made to pour in the embalming liquid or may have been
done by Carter's team when removing the head from the mask. Part of the
team disagrees, and sees no evidence for an embalming route through the
back of the neck. They believe, instead, that the embalming liquid in
this area was also introduced through the nose or trickled down from the
cranial cavity, and that the vertebra and foramen magnum were definitely
damaged by Carter's team in the process of removing the head from mask,
and could not have been damaged by the embalmers.
The "murder" theory: The
entire team agrees that there is NO evidence for murder present in the
skull of Tutankhamun. There is NO area on the back of the skull that
indicates a partially healed blow. There are two bone fragments loose in
the skull. These cannot possibly have been from an injury from before
death, as they would have become stuck in the embalming material. The
scientific team has matched these pieces to the fractured cervical
vertebra and foramen magnum, and believes these were broken either
during the embalming process or by Carter's team.
Fractured leg?: The team
has noted a fracture of the left lower femur (thighbone), at the level
of the epiphyseal plate. This fracture appears different from the many
breaks caused by Carter's team, it has ragged rather than sharp edges,
and there are two layers of embalming material present inside.
Part of the team believes that the
embalming material indicates that this can only have occurred during
life or during the embalming process, and cannot have been caused by
Carter's team. They note that this type of fracture, unlike most of the
others, is possible in young men in their late teens, and argue that it
is most likely that this happened during life. There is no obvious
evidence for healing (although there may be some present, and masked by
the embalming material). Since the associated skin wound would still
have been open, this fracture would have had to occur a short time, days
at the most, before death.
Carter's team had noted that the
patella (kneecap) on this leg was loose (now it is completely separated,
and has in fact, been wrapped with the left hand), possibly suggesting
further damage to this area of the body. The part of the team that
subscribes to this theory also notes a fracture of the right patella and
right lower leg. Based on this evidence, they suggest the king may have
suffered an accident in which he broke his leg badly, leaving an open
wound. Although the break itself would not have been life-threatening,
infection might have set in. However, this part of the team believes it
also possible, although less likely, that this fracture was caused by
the embalmers.
No fractured leg: Part of
the team believes that the above scenario is absolutely not possible.
They maintain that the fracture mentioned above can only have been done
by Carter's team during extraction of the body from the coffin. They
argue that if such a fracture had been suffered in life, there would
have been evidence for hemorrhage or haematoma present in the CT scan.
They believe the embalming liquid was pushed into the fracture by
Carter's team.
Missing ribs and sternum:
The sternum and a large percentage of the front ribs are now missing,
evidently along with the much of the front chest wall. The ends of the
missing ribs are cleanly cut, clearly by a sharp instrument. The
scientific team agrees that this cannot mirror in any way extensive
trauma to the chest, as such trauma would have been reflected elsewhere
in the body (particularly in the vertebra).
Opinion among team members is
divided as to whether the ribs and sternum were removed by the embalmers
or by Carter's team. Carter's team does not mention that the ribs and
sternum were missing, and a beaded collar and string of beads can be
seen covering the chest cavity in photos taken at the time, but before
their examination of the body was completed. Therefore it is perhaps
more likely that this area of the body, which is now completely missing,
was removed by Carter's team in order to collect the artifacts present
(although he does not mention doing so). Archaeological investigation
will continue in an effort to resolve this issue.
Embalming process: The team
has concluded, based on the identification of at least five different
types of embalming material and the many episodes of its introduction to
the body and cranial cavity, that great care was taken in the
mummification of this king. This counters previous arguments that the
body of the king was prepared hurriedly and carelessly.
Missing penis:
Although they cannot be certain, the team believes that they have
located the king's penis, present at Carter's exhumation but reported
missing at the 1968 examination, loose in the sand around the king's
body. There are also many fragments apparently belonging to other
missing parts, such as a thumb, other digits, and pieces of vertebrae,
present in this area.
 Farouk
Hosni, Minister of Culture, announced today that the Egyptian team has
finished their examination of a non-invasive CT scan of Tutankhamun's
mummy. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of
Antiquities, states that there is no evidence that the young king was
murdered. The scientific team, which reviewed over 17,000 images, was
headed by Dr. Hawass, and consisted of radiologists, pathologists, and
anatomists under the oversight of Dr. Madiha Khattab, Dean of Medicine at
Cairo University. Lead radiologist Dr. Mervat Shafik and the rest of the
team requested that three international experts, two from Italy and one
from Switzerland, be permitted to review the images. "We need our opinion
to be international, since people all over the world are waiting for the
results of this important scan," said Dr. Shafik.
Dr. Hawass announced today that
the scientific team confirmed that King Tut died at about the age of 19.
His bones, which indicate a slight build, show that he was well-fed and
healthy and suffered no major childhood malnutrition or infectious
diseases. In answer to theories that Tutankhamun was murdered, the team
found no evidence for a blow to the back of the head, and no other
indication of foul play. They also found it extremely unlikely that
he suffered an accident in which he crushed his chest. He adds that some
team members interpret a fracture in the left thighbone as evidence for
the possibility that Tutankhamun broke his leg badly just before he died.
However, this injury alone could not have directly caused the king's
death. The team was also able to rule out pathological causes for the bent
spine and elongated skull noted in earlier examinations. The scientists
believe the head shape to be a normal variation, and think the bend in the
spine is due to the way the embalmers positioned the body.
The king also had a
slightly cleft palette and one impacted wisdom tooth. The team also notes
that extreme care seems to have been taken in preparing the body of the
king for burial.
Dr Hawass also said:
"The Egyptian team worked on the images for two months. The foreign team
came for several days at the end to review the work of the Egypt team. The
foreign consultants confirmed the results of the Egyptian team, and joined
us to make this announcement internationally. All of us are proud to
announce these findings, the first CT examination of a securely identified
royal mummy from ancient Egypt.
 I
believe these results will close the case of Tutankhamun, and the king
will not need to be examined again. We should now leave him at rest. I am
proud that this work was done, and done well, by a completely Egyptian
team."
The
team found no signs of a blow to the head, as had been theorized based
on x-rays taken in 1968, and no other evidence for foul play. They did
note a bad fracture just above the left knee that may have occurred a
day or two before the king died (rather than being caused by the
embalmers or Carter's team).
"It is possible that this injury
became infected and killed the king," said team leader Zahi Hawass.
See also:
Tutankhamun's face revealed
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