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Hatshepsut's Tooth?

How an Unexpected Molar May Have Identified the Long-Lost Mummy of Hatshepsut

By , About.com Guide

Hatshepsut Identified?

Hatshepsut Identified?

(c) DCI

A box inscribed with Hatshepsut's name was found in the mummy cache at Deir el-Bahri. The assumption had been that the box contained Hatshepsut's liver or spleen. The box could not be simply opened, as the resin had solidified, and so the investigating team decided to subject the box to a computer tomography (CT) scan.

Unexpectedly, the box was found to contain -- along with several organ parts -- a tooth, identified as a molar missing one root. Using the measurements from the scan, the three-dimensional shape and size of the tooth could be determined with accuracy.

The mummy identified as KV60A had already been subjected to a CT scan and detailed analysis. That mummy showed significant dental problems -- including one remaining root from a missing molar. The other possible Hatshepsut mummy, KV60B, had no such missing molar.

Matching the size showed that the tooth in the box fit the space for the molar within "a fraction of a millimeter." The team concluded that gum disease, apparent from the CT scan, could easily have eroded the gums by that small amount.

The CT scans were also used to measure the density of the tooth and the root. These were identical within a reasonable margin.

The data were reviewed and confirmed by two experts. One was the lead forensic investigator for the Ice Man mummy, Dr. Paul Gostner, former radiology chief at Italy's Bolzano General Hospital. The other was Dr. Andreas Blaha, a senior computer tomography (CT) scan imaging analyst at Siemens German headquarters.

Sources Consulted Include

  • Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen. First aired: 7/15/07. Discovery Channel. Brando Quilico, executive producer.
  • "Applied Biosystems Helps Build Egypt's First Laboratory for Ancient DNA Analysis." Press Release, Applied Biosystems, n.d. (June 2007).
  • "Frequently Asked Questions." Press Release, Discovery Channel, n.d. (June 2007).

All About Hatshepsut:

Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut Issues

Discovery Channel: Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen

Related Archaeology:

Related:

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