Over the years, there have been many theories ranging from a blow to his head after being hit by a hippo or horse to a gangrene infection caused by a broken leg to even, murder. Now, some British scientists led by Dr. Chris Naunton, Director of the Egypt Exploration Society believe that they may not only have solved the mystery, but also, uncovered that the king's mummification had been botched.
But Dr. Naunton did not stop his research there. Intrigued by references made by Howard Carter that King Tut's body may have been burnt, he decided to explore that further and contacted Dr. Robert Connolly, a Liverpool Universityanthropologist who was a member of the team that x-rayed the pharaoh's remains in 1968. As luck would have it, Dr. Connolly happened to have a piece of King Tut's flesh among the artifacts he had been allowed to bring back.
However, not everyone is convinced that this is the case. According to National Geographic's A. R. Williams, one of the biggest arguments against this theory is the fact that King Tut's body is intact, though that could be explained by the fact that the temperature was not high enough to reduce it to ashes. But then how does one explain the fact that his beaded linen cap showed no signs of being charred or that the dried flowers from the garlands he was adorned with were intact as was all the jewelry around his neck. Maybe the scientists will reveal some of the answers in their new documentary entitled Tutankhamun: The Mystery of the Burnt Mummy,that is scheduled to be broadcast in England on Sunday, November 10th, 2013.
It all began when Lord Carnarvon died shortly after discovering the tomb, from a mosquito bite that turned into a deadly infection. Coincidentally, the lights in Cairowent out the exact moment the scientist passed away, adding more fuel to the theory. A few months later, his dog and a few other people that had been associated with the dig also succumbed to strange illnesses, confirming everyone's worst fear - King Tut's tomb was indeed cursed! It was much later that scientists discovered that all these deaths may be the result of spores released by some deadly bacteria discovered on the wall of the tomb. But by then King Tut hadgarnered the world's attention and become everyone's favorite pharaoh!
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