Tag Archives: Egyptology

King Tut Buried Hastily

Some dark, mysterious spots found on the art and remains in King Tut’s tomb indicate that the Boy King was buried hastily. The spots, which were evident in 1922 when the tomb was uncovered, are still one of the mysterious aspects of the burial. Microbiologists at the Getty Conservation Institute have yet to match the melanins in the spots to any living organism.

Dark Spots on Art Inside the Tomb

Egyptologists believe that the young Pharaoh died suddenly which lead to a hasty burial. The dark spots seem to indicate that the painted plaster on the walls was not dry when the tomb was sealed, allowing microbes to grow on the moist regions fed with the accompanying incense and food provided for the Boy King to accompany his journey to the afterlife.

Read more about the mysterious spots in this MSNBC article and here at LiveScience. You can also listen to the Scientific American podcast.

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Update on New Pyramid Hieroglyphics – Potentially Numbers

I previously posted about a recent discovery in the Great Pyramid at Giza of new hieroglyphics discovered with robots specially designed to penetrate previously unreachable crevices. You can read about that in this article: “Hidden Hieroglyphics Discovered in the Great Pyramid at Giza.”

Luca Matiallo, an independent specialist in Egyptian writing, has claimed to identify the marking as number:

“The markings are hieratic numerical signs. They read from right to left, meaning 100, 20, 1. The builders simply recorded the total length of the shaft: 121 cubits.”

To read more about this theory, read this article in Discovery News or here at MSNBC.

Egyptian Mummies Show Signs of Air Pollution in Antiquity

Examinations of Egyptian mummies show that they were exposed to heavy air pollution while still alive. The study, conducted on mummies of various ages and across a spectrum of social classes, demonstrates that Egyptians were exposed to heavy air pollution.

Interestingly, the levels of air pollution in ancient Egypt were not much lower than the are in the modern world. Exposure to such particulates would have increased rates of lung disease – infection, pneumonia, cancer, and so forth.

Archaeologists are planning to continue their studies on ancient air pollution and focus especially on the sources. You can read more about this study on MSNBC.

Statue of King Tut’s Grandfather Uncovered

Archaeologists have recently uncovered a statue of Amenhotep III, the father of King Tut. The statue was uncovered as Amenhotep’s funerary monument in Luxor and is remarkable well preserved, especially for its large size.

In addition to the head of Pharoah Amenhotep, several other statues and artifacts have been recovered. You can read about the excavations and sicoveries in this MNSBC Article and at Discovery News.

Hidden Hieroglyphics Discovered in the Great Pyramid at Giza

Recent explorations in the Great Pyramid at Giza have recently discovered new hieroglyphs painted red. The discovery was made by robots, specially designed to reach previously inaccessible regions of the pyramid.

Archaeologists hope that this new discovery will help Egyptologists to further understand the role of the pyramids in Egyptian ritual. You can read more about the discovery in this Discovery News Article.

Lost Egyptian Pyramids Found From Space

Seventeen lost pyramids, more than one thousand tombs, and over three thousand settlements have been located via satellite imagery.

The sites were identified by a team of archaeologists, led by Dr. Sarah Parcak and partnered with NASA, by examining thousands of infra-red images recorded by orbiting satellites.

You can read more about these discoveries in this BBC Article or, if you’re a UK resident, in this BBC One Programme.

Egyptian Mummy – Earliest Case of Heart Disease

Another update to the Egyptian Princess with heart disease in today’s Discovery News. You can read about the original discovery in my earlier article here.

Update on Egyptian Princess with Heart Disease

I recently posted an article about the CT scans that identified the earliest proven victim of Heart Disease in an Egypt Mummy.

Scientific American has the latest information on this research, along with a link to the abstract that first identified this issue.

Egyptian Mummy – the Oldest Victim of Heart Disease

The oldest victim of heart disease has been identified in the mummy of an Egyptian Princess.

CT scans performed on the mummy of Princess Ahmose-Meryet-Amon have identified extensive coronary artery disease in the mummified remains. The findings will soon be published and presented formally.

Read more about the research and findings in this Science Daily News Article, here via FoxNews, or at MSNBC.

Can Egypt Protect its Antiquities and Monuments?

The recent upheaval in Egypt has brought to light the very serious problems of the looting of antiquities. This week, NewsWeek explores the issue of looting in Egypt and the future of its Antiquities:

Antiquities theft is as old as the pyramids, but never before has it so shocked Egyptians.

This is a long-standing problem, highlighted in the wake of the political upheaval in Egypt with no clear resolution or end in sight. See the article in NewsWeek for more on this topic.

What should be done to protect Egypt’s monuments? Here’s a list on which most Egyptologists agree: Consult with local and international agencies and specialists to develop and implement long-term management plans. Train on-site inspectors and give them greater responsibility. Design better security for sites and museums. Allocate more money for site conservation and documentation. Take a strong stand against commercial and political interests that threaten the monuments.