Tutankhamun suffered malaria according to DNA studies

• May 5, 2024

A mystery as old as the Egypt of the pharaohs, has just been solved: the young King Tutankhamun died as a result of malaria and a bone disease.

In an article by the American Medical Association (JAMA), published in early 2010, the details of an investigation that combined techniques of identification with DNA, radiological studies and the morphological comparison of some 11 accredited mummies were known. as relatives, including that of the young pharaoh, to determine the causes of his death. The team of 17 researchers from Egypt, Germany and Italy, supervised by the head of Egyptian archeology Zahi Hawass, worked for two years on this project that opens a new field of study in the molecular genealogy and paleo-genetic diseases in the time of the pharaohs.

"A new scientific discipline called molecular Egyptology can be established that combines the natural sciences, life sciences and culture, the humanities, medicine and other fields," they say in the report.

The fragile health of Tutankhamun

The analysis reveals that the young king suffered multiple ailments that caused him an inflammatory and immunosuppressive syndrome that weakened him a lot.

In addition to the painful necrosis in the bones, caused by Köhler's disease, which forced him to use walking sticks (up to 130 were found in his trousseau), a malformation (hypophalangism) was detected in his right foot and a deformation on the left. The study also confirmed the fracture of one of his legs, product of a fall.

The health of Tutankhamun, already precarious, was even more endangered when he became infected with malaria; the discovery of a considerable quantity of products for medical use in his grave would support this diagnosis.

All these elements determined the death of the pharaoh who ascended to the throne at the age of 11 years and possibly died at 19, around the year one thousand 325 BC.

The legend does not end

The research, carried out from 2007 to 2009, rules out that the pharaoh suffered from gynecomastia, almost female development of the breasts in males, or the syndrome of Marfan , which is characterized by elongated arms and legs.

However, not all archeologists in the world share the same enthusiasm. For some, such as the professor of archeology at Cairo University, Abdel Halim Nureddin, the genetic material of the mummies studied may be corrupted by time, and other archaeological evidence is needed to confirm with certainty the genealogy of Tutankhamun. The legend does not end: the young monarch, is still giving something to talk about.