Study: King Tut slain by sword in the knee

February 2, 2006 Pharaoh Tutankhamun

Researchers from Italy's Bolzano University say they believe Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun died from an infection caused by a sword cut.

The scientists say they found traces of gold leaf bearing animal symbols in the late pharaoh's right kneecap, Italian news agency ANSA reported. That led the researchers to surmise it had fallen from Tutankhamun's raiments, lodging in a hole they believe was caused by a sword.

Experts during the centuries have been unable to definitively say what caused King Tut's death. But the new discovery has led to the hypothesis a sword blow produced a fatal infection.

ANSA said the findings have not yet officially been made public. An Italian newspaper said Egypt's archaeological chief Zahi Hawass was awaiting a final report before making an announcement.

Rate this story - 3.3 /5 (121 votes)

rank
1
2
3
4
5

view popular

Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.

Display comments: newest first

kamell - Sep 21, 2008
- Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
Informative article. Thank you. The king Tut's mummy and the X-Ray test in http://famousphar...498.html
- report abuse
- - Current rank
  - 1
  - 2
  - 3
  - 4
  - 5

Other News

Museum: Galileo's fingers, tooth are found

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

14 hours ago | not rated yet | 5

(AP) -- Two fingers and a tooth removed from Galileo Galilei's corpse in a Florentine basilica in the 18th century and given up for lost have been found again and will soon be put on display, an Italian museum ...

Measure to change U. of Neb. stem-cell rule fails (AP)

Measure to change U. of Neb. stem-cell rule fails (Update 2)

Other Sciences / Other

14 hours ago | 5 / 5 (1) | 0

(AP) -- The University of Nebraska's governing board on Friday voted not to place tighter restrictions on embryonic stem cell research than those outlined under federal guidelines, which were expanded after ...

Researcher: Faint writing seen on Shroud of Turin (AP)

Researcher: Faint writing seen on Shroud of Turin (Update)

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

Nov 20, 2009 | 1.7 / 5 (22) | 23

(AP) -- A Vatican researcher has rekindled the age-old debate over the Shroud of Turin, saying that faint writing on the linen proves it was the burial cloth of Jesus. Experts say the historian may be reading ...

Three of a kind: Revealing language’s universal essence

Other Sciences / Social Sciences

Nov 20, 2009 | 3.7 / 5 (9) | 6

(PhysOrg.com) -- On the surface, English, Japanese, and Kinande, a member of the Bantu family of languages spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo, have little in common. It is not just that the vocabularies ...

New insights into the life of the Maya

Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils

Nov 16, 2009 | 4.6 / 5 (15) | 7

(PhysOrg.com) -- Ancient artifacts are almost always concerned with rich and powerful religious and political leaders, but new excavations of an ancient Maya site have unearthed a pyramid decorated with murals ...