The mummy of King Tut's mother is displayed during a news conference by the head of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities to announce DNA results meant to reveal the parentage of Egypt's famed King Tutankhamun at the Egyptian museum in Cairo February 17, 2010.(Agencies) |
Ancient Egypt's teenage king Tutankhamun was born of an incestuous marriage, scientists said on Wednesday, helping to explain why he limped on a club foot and suffered other deformities and genetic defects. Research including tests on the pharaoh's mummy, discovered in 1922 in the Valley of Kings, showed that his parents had been siblings and he had only paternal grandparents. Incestuous alliances were common among Egypt's royalty, said renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass. "A king could marry his sister and his daughter because he is a god, like Iris and Osiris, and this was a habit only among kings and queens," Hawass told a news conference at Cairo's Egyptian Museum. There has long been speculation about the fate of the king, who died sometime around 1324 BC, probably aged 19. The scientists were presenting more details of DNA tests and CT scans conducted on Tutankhamun and 15 other mummies between 2007 and 2009. On Tuesday, they revealed that he had had malaria, a cleft palate and a genetic bone disease. "This 21st century medical science allows for a more exact reconstruction of history," Albert Zink, a German member of the research team, told the reporters. Scientists have identified Akhenaten, the "heretic" king who introduced monotheism to ancient Egypt, as Tutankhamun's father. Akhenaten first married Nefertiti, who was renowned for her great beauty, but had no sons so he then married his sister in an effort to have a son. Hawass said it would take several months to reveal more details about the identity of the Tutankhamun's mother. Scientists are also looking for the mummy of queen Nefertiti but they have identified Ankhsenamun as Tutankhamun's wife. Two fetuses found in Tutankhamun's tomb, which was full of treasure, were identified as his offspring. Depictions of Akhenaten with a bizarre feminine physique were due to the belief that god represented by the pharaoh was androgynous. "The artists used a poem Akhenaton wrote to god saying 'you are the man ... you are the woman' as a model for depicting fertility and the source of life," Hawass said. He ruled out speculation that Tutankhamun and his father suffered from "Marfan syndrome" and another condition that could have led to enlarged breasts. 点击查看更多双语新闻
|
科学家于本周三称,古埃及少年法老图坦卡蒙的父母为直系血亲联姻,这有助于解释为什么图坦卡蒙患有畸形足,以及其它身体畸形和基因缺陷。 对图坦卡蒙法老的木乃伊进行的检测等研究表明,他的父母是同父同母的亲兄妹。1922年,人们在金斯河谷发现了图坦卡蒙的木乃伊。 著名埃及古物学者扎西•哈瓦斯称,在埃及王室中,近亲联姻非常普遍。他在位于开罗的埃及博物馆举行的一次记者招待会上说:“就像伊里斯(古埃及神话中的生命女神)和欧西里斯(古埃及神话中的冥王)一样,法老可以迎娶自己的姐妹和女儿,因为他被尊为神。这种习惯只存在于法老和王后之中。” 关于图坦卡蒙法老的命运一直有很多猜测。他在大约公元前1324年去世,逝时大概只有19岁。 科学家在2007年至2009年间对图坦卡蒙和另外15人的木乃伊进行了DNA检测和CT扫描,并提供了更多研究细节。研究人员于本周二称,图坦卡蒙曾患有疟疾、腭裂,以及遗传性骨病。 研究小组成员、德国科研人员阿尔伯特•辛克告诉记者:“21世纪的医学科学使人们可以更精确地追溯历史。” 科学家认定,图坦卡蒙的父亲就是被称为“异教徒”的埃赫那顿法老。埃赫那顿将一神论引入了古埃及。 埃赫那顿首先迎娶了以惊世美貌著称的纳芙蒂蒂,但两人没有子嗣。为传宗接代,他又娶了自己的亲姐妹。 哈瓦斯称,还需要进行数月的研究才能揭开图坦卡蒙母亲身份的更多谜团。 科学家还在寻找纳芙蒂蒂王后的木乃伊,但他们已经认定安卡珊娜曼是图坦卡蒙的妻子。科学家在图坦卡蒙遍布财宝的墓葬中还发现了两个婴儿的木乃伊,经认定是他的子女。 据描述,埃赫那顿具有奇异的女性特征,这源于法老代表的神兼具两性特征这一信仰。哈瓦斯说:“艺术家引用埃赫那顿致神的一封信为例,来描绘繁衍和生命之源,信中说‘你既是一位男性,也是一位女性’。” 他排除了有关图坦卡蒙和他的父亲患有“马凡氏综合症”,以及另外一种可使胸部更丰满的病症的猜想。 相关阅读 (中国日报网英语点津 Julie) |
|
Vocabulary: incestuous:of, involving, or suggestive of incest(血亲的,乱伦的) deformity:an abnormally formed part of the body(身体的畸形) mummy:the dead body of a human being or animal preserved by the ancient Egyptian process or some similar method of embalming(木乃伊) heretic:anyone who does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle(异教徒,离经叛道者) androgynous:being both male and female; hermaphroditic(雌雄同体的,兼具两性特征的) |