DNA tests to solve mystery of King Tut's identity

CAIRO, Egypt (Reuters) -- Japanese and Egyptian archaeologists will conduct DNA tests on the mummy of child Pharaoh Tutankhamun next month to solve mysteries about his true identity, Egyptian officials said on Sunday.

Nasry Iskander, head of research and preservation at Egypt's Supreme Antiquities Council, said the archaeologists would travel to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, about 525 km (325 miles) south of Cairo, to take samples from Tutankhamun's mummy inside the ancient tomb.

The samples would then be returned to Cairo and analyzed at a new high-tech laboratory financed by Japan, he said.

"The sampling will take place approximately in the second week of December. The results will be available not less than six weeks later," Iskander said.

"We want to determine if he (Tutankhamun) is Amen-Hoteb III's son or if he is Smen-Kaw-Rh's brother," he added.

Despite decades of research, the exact lineage of the royal family has remained a mystery, but Iskander believes the DNA tests could be the key to solving the ancient puzzle. After conducting the tests on Tutankhamun's remains, the other two kings are next, he said.

The testing would also reveal the pharaoh's disputed gender. Some scientists have speculated that King Tutankhamun may in fact have been a woman.

The famous pharaoh died as a child, spawning heated debate about the cause of his untimely death more than 3,000 years ago. Some researchers believe Tutankhamun was murdered, while some even suggested he was simply too fat.

Iskander said it was the first time that researchers would conduct DNA tests on Tutankhamun, although the mummy had been previously exposed to X-ray and other examinations in the quest for his identity.

In addition to total funding of the project, the Japanese Waseda University Egypt Archaeological mission is donating a specialized laboratory to the Supreme Council of Antiquities to conduct the DNA tests.

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