AVOLA, ITALY—A digital model has been made of a human skull recovered in 1907 from tomb KV 55 in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, according to a Live Science report. Francesco Galassi of Sicily’s Forensic Anthropology, Paleopathology, Bioarchaeology Research Center, and 3-D forensic artist Cicero Moraes, used the Manchester method to add facial muscles and ligaments to the model skull according to the rules of anatomy, Galassi explained. “The skin is placed on top of this, and the tissue thicknesses are average values that have been scientifically determined,” he added. Galassi and his team also relied upon notes, detailed measurements, photographs, and X-rays from prior examinations of the skeletal remains. Genetic analysis suggests that the man may have been Tutankhamun’s father, Akhenaten, who reigned from 1353 to 1335 B.C., although the practice of incest among ancient Egypt’s royal dynasties could complicate scientists' understanding of this genetic data. Examination of the man’s teeth and bones, which were exposed when the mummy was discovered, suggests he was about 26 years old at the time of death. Records suggest that Akhenaten ruled for 17 years, and fathered a daughter during the first year of his reign, thus calling the identification of the man buried in KV 55 into question. To read about Akhenaten's wife, go to "In Search of History's Greatest Rulers: Nefertiti, Great Royal Wife and Queen of Egypt."
Facial Reconstruction May Depict Pharaoh Akhenaten
News March 24, 2021
SHARE:
Recommended Articles
Digs & Discoveries May/June 2024
Speaking in Golden Tongues
(Egyptian Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities)
(Courtesy Sahar Saleem)
Rediscovering Egypt's Golden Dynasty September/October 2022
Who Was Tut’s Mother?
(Ken Garrett)
(Courtesy Egyptian Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities)
-
-
Features January/February 2021
Return to the River
Members of Virginia’s Rappahannock tribe are at work with archaeologists to document the landscape they call home
(Courtesy Julia King) -
Letter from Woodhenge January/February 2021
Stonehenge's Continental Cousin
A 4,000-year-old ringed sanctuary reveals a German village’s surprising connections with Britain
(Photo Matthias Zirn) -
Artifacts January/February 2021
Inca Box with Votive Offerings
(Courtesy Teddy Seguin/Université Libre de Bruxelles)