DNA analysis key for solving mystery of King Tut's origins

London, August 26 (ANI): Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt, has said that harvesting DNA from ancient mummies would be the key to solving the mystery surrounding Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen's origins.

According to an article authored by Dr Hawass in the Asharq Alawsat Newspaper, he was in for a surprise when he entered the royal tomb of Tutankhamen with Professor Zakaria, and managed to get DNA samples.

Previously, there was hardly any hope in obtaining DNA samples from mummies, and Dr Hawass believed that he would prove to the world that mummies did not have any DNA suitable for analysis.

"For the first time, I saw that it is possible to harvest DNA from a mummy, and I believe that this will be the key to solving the mystery surrounding King Tutankhamen's origins," he wrote in the article.

Tutankhamen, the golden pharaoh, continues to bedazzle the entire world.

The discovery of King Tut's tomb, which took place around 85 years ago, remains the most important archeological discovery of our time, not just in Egypt, but in the entire world.

This was the first time that a royal tomb of one of Egypt's pharaohs was discovered untouched, and with the complete set of funeral furniture which was buried with the King.

In addition to this, there was also the treasures and jewelry which blinded anybody who set eyes on them.

"In an attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding King Tut's family and discover the identity of his father, we find that there are some archeologists who strongly suggest that this is most probably King Akhenaton," said Dr Hawass.

Akhenaton was the first Pharaoh to advocate monotheism, not just in ancient Egypt, but in the world. Others believe that Akhenaton's father, King Amenhotep III is a more likely candidate for Tutankhamen's father.

As for King Tut's mother, "If we follow the speculation mentioned above with regards to Tutankhamen's father, his mother is most likely either Queen Tiye, the consort of King Amenhotep III or the extremely famous, Queen Nefertiti, the consort of King Akhenaton," said Dr Hawass.

These questions are enigmatic, and archeologists are having a hard time trying to answer them.

According to Dr Hawass, "We have embarked upon the quest to solve the mysteries surrounding King Tut thanks to the two DNA analysis laboratories that we have access to, as well as the availability of a CT-Scan machine, through which we are able to know every single detail about a mummy." (ANI)