King Tut died of malaria and bone condition, says new research

CAIRO — Egypt's famed King Tutankhamun suffered from a cleft palate and club foot, likely forcing him to walk with a cane, and died from complications from a broken leg exacerbated by malaria, according to the most extensive study ever of his more than 3,300-year-old mummy.

The findings were from two years of DNA testing and CT scans on 16 mummies, including those of Tutankhamun and his family, the team that carried out the study said in an article to be published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

It also established the clearest yet family tree for Tut, indicating for the first time that he was the child of a brother-sister union.

The study said his father was most likely Akhenaten, the pharaoh who tried to revolutionize ancient Egyptian religion and force his people to worship one god. The mummy shown by DNA to be that of Tut's mother also turned out to be a sister of Akhenaten, though she has not yet been identified.

Tut, who became pharaoh at the age of 10 in 1333 B.C., ruled for just nine years at a pivotal time in Egypt's history. While a comparatively minor king, the 1922 discovery of his tomb filled with stunning artifacts, including the famed golden funeral mask, made him known the world over.

More: http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20100216/ML.Egypt.King.Tut/

I have to wonder how he broke his leg.

I'm going to assume he was trying to prove he was just as capable as other boys.

I wonder how common this was among Egyptian royalty.

on the stone steps down to the barge on the way to a royal hippopotamus hunt. :shrug: it happens.

My hat always falls off --

Emperor Claudius, FDR, etc., etc.

i read about one of the charles. austrian maybe, lets just say serious brain issues. maybe CP. inbreeding craptacular!