Summary of 'King Tut's Family Secrets' from Unit 2, Lesson B

   There were a number of treasures such as artifacts in a tomb of Tutankhamun which was secretly buried and rediscovered in 1922. To solve many secrets about him and his family, further technology was needed.

   Through CT scans and DNA researches, researchers came to know why a hole in Tut's skull was caused,when he died and that his leg was broken. In addition, they revealed that Tut had had difficulties walking due to tissue death, and that he had suffered from malaria. These facts made researchers be able to assume that he had been endangered since his birth because of his family.

   The researchers analyzed total eleven mummies including Tut. Three of those were his family and seven were unknown which comprised of four females, a male and two fetuses. Through comparison of the results of CT scans and DNA researches, the researchers proved that Tut's family relationship and that his parents were married siblings.

   Therefore, Tut inherited vulnerable genetic conditions from his parents who were married siblings. This caused him to be suffered from malaria and tissue death due to injury of leg. As a result, it led him to premature death. Moreover, inspite of incomplete data, it was possible to suppose that Tut's wife had been his half sister and that two mummified fetuses had been their children who had had genetic defects.

   After the death of Tut, as the power of a new dynasty from Ramses 1 grew, the new dynasty tried to remove the record of prior dynasty, Tut's royal family. However, the researches based on DNA could keep its history.