King Tutankhamun, Modern Medical Science, and the Expanding Boundaries of Historical Inquiry
- Howard Markel, MD, PhD
- Author Affiliation: Center for the History of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
- KEYWORDS:
- CAUSE OF DEATH
- DIAGNOSIS
- DNA
- EGYPT
- ETHICS, MEDICAL
- GENETIC DISEASES, INBORN
- HISTORY, ANCIENT
- MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
- MUMMIES
Tutankhamun, better known as King Tut, ruled ancient Egypt from 1333 to 1324 BC, during the 18th dynasty (circa 1550-1295 BC) of ancient Egypt's New Kingdom (circa 1550-1070 BC). His brief reign, youthful visage, and premature death, as well as the rediscovery of his remains and tomb in 1922, have fascinated Egyptologists and other historians alike for decades.
Over the years, many scholars have offered a wide variety of explanations for his early demise as well as the seemingly androgynous appearance of his face and gynecomastia portrayed in sculptures and other relics. These diagnoses have included Marfan syndrome, Wilson-Turner X-linked mental retardation syndrome, Fröhlich syndrome (adiposogenital dystrophy), Klinefelter syndrome, androgen insensitivity syndrome, aromatase excess syndrome in conjunction with sagittal craniosynostosis syndrome, and Antley-Bixler syndrome or one of its variants.1,2,3,4
After a series of radiographs taken of Tutankhamun's mummy in 1968 suggested signs …
