Controversy over Pyramid claims - Heritage - Al-Ahram Weekly
The Giza Plateau, home to the iconic Pyramids and the Great Sphinx, has long symbolised ancient ingenuity and human achievement. However, beyond its warm sands and weathered stone structures, a new controversy is beginning to unfold.
Late last month, two scientists, Filippo Biondi of the University of Strathclyde in Scotland and Corrado Malanga of the University of Pisa in Italy, claimed that using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology they had identified what they described as a vast underground city stretching 2 km beneath the Giza Pyramids.
According to their findings, the subterranean complex includes eight distinct vertical, cylinder-shaped structures spanning over 610 m beneath the Pyramid of Khafre.
They also reported the presence of various unidentified structures detected at a depth of approximately 1,220 m, among them a structure containing a sarcophagus initially believed to be the tomb of a Pharaoh. These newly identified formations are said to be connected by underground pathways that lead beneath the surface and are believed to reveal hidden chambers and wells beneath the 4,500-year-old Pyramid complex.
The scientists claimed that electromagnetic signals were converted into phononic data, which revealed what they interpreted as extensive infrastructure reaching thousands of metres below ground. The eight large vertical features, speculated to be wells or shafts, are believed to stretch over 1,980 m across and extend to depths of 610 m.
The team also referenced the so-called 'Halls of Amenti', a mythical feature in Egyptian lore, suggesting it could include the legendary Hall of Records, a secret chamber believed by some to lie beneath the Great Sphinx or elsewhere within the Giza Pyramid complex and containing ancient knowledge about Egypt's earliest civilisation.
The findings, made public through a reinterpretation of a scientific paper published in 2022 in the journal Remote Sensing and a video published on YouTube presenting the claim, had garnered thousands of viewers at the time of reporting, reflecting widespread public interest and speculation.
Social media platforms lit up with reactions to the alleged discovery, as users on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok shared archived posts expressing fascination and excitement. Many referred to the purported find as 'a vast underground city'.
Egyptologist and former minister of antiquities Zahi Hawass firmly rejected the claims, however, stating that the use of radar technology inside the Pyramid of Khafre was 'completely false' and amounted to 'fake news'.
He emphasised that both researchers have never come to Egypt to do research, and the techniques cited in their report are neither scientifically approved nor validated by the archaeological community and radar experts. The findings were not peer-reviewed nor made publicly available in scientific journals, he said.
'No radar devices have been used inside the Pyramid,' Hawass confirmed, adding that there is 'no scientific evidence' to support the existence of the underground structures described. He explained that the ancient Egyptians had carved the base of the Pyramid directly from the natural bedrock to a height of approximately eight metres and that no columns or vertical shafts lie beneath it.
He wondered about the purposes behind the claims, suggesting that the researchers wanted to argue that the Pyramids were not constructed as royal tombs, but rather as components of a sophisticated ancient power-generating system and that they were built by aliens not the ancient Egyptians.
Hawass said that all the 120 pyramids stretching from Giza to Dahshour were built by the ancient Egyptians as royal tombs and national projects.
He said that the Wadi Al-Jarf papyri, considered the oldest papyri in the world, is strong evidence that the ancient Egyptians were the Pyramid builders. The papyri contain the diary of Merer, the overseer of workers at Wadi Al-Jarf, 24 km south of Zaafarana and 119 km south of Suez, during the reign of King Khufu, showing how they constructed the Great Pyramid on the Giza Plateau.
It tells how the workers transported stones from the Tora Quarry to the Plateau to build the Pyramids. 'These claims are nothing more than an attempt to diminish the achievements of ancient Egyptian civilisation,' Hawass stated.
CLAIMS: Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), pointed out that the research was authored by two researchers, one of them with a background in electrical engineering and the second a specialist in industrial chemistry.
Their study was published in Remote Sensing, a journal issued by a Swiss-based publishing house headquartered in Basel. Neither author holds formal qualifications in Egyptology, archaeology, or even remote sensing, the core discipline of the journal in which their work appeared.
Khaled said that Remote Sensing is published by MDPI, a well-known open-access publisher. Under this model, researchers pay publication fees in exchange for making their work freely available to the public.
'While the journal claims to uphold a peer-review process, a closer look at the submission timeline raises questions,' Khaled said, adding that the paper was submitted on 30 August 2022, underwent review by 28 September, and was accepted for publication on 12 October. This turnaround time of approximately six weeks is unusually short for comprehensive peer review, particularly for a paper exceeding 30 pages in length.
'Scholars across disciplines generally recognise that rigorous peer review often requires several months to ensure methodological and scientific soundness,' Khaled said.
An identical version of the paper can be found on the academic platform ResearchGate listed with a submission date of 7 October 2020. This earlier version lacks any indication that it underwent peer review, yet it mirrors the final published manuscript in both structure and content.
This raises the possibility that the research was published largely unchanged, without substantial input from reviewers or the revisions typically required in academic publishing.
'The use of satellite technology to detect deep subterranean structures, particularly beneath solid stone formations such as the Pyramid of Khafre, presents significant scientific and technical challenges,' Khaled said.
He added that the claim that SAR was used to identify corridors and columns at extreme depths under the Pyramid is not only highly speculative but may be technically implausible.
'SAR technology, while effective in certain geospatial applications, does not possess the capability to penetrate dense stone to the degree required for such claims. Although it is theoretically possible to interpret minute ground movements caused by natural seismic activity using the Doppler effect, the practical application of such a technique in this context remains highly questionable,' he said.
The study also opens with a number of controversial assertions, including the claim that the Great Pyramid was constructed entirely from granite blocks weighing approximately 2.5 tons each fitted with millimetric precision over a span of just 15 to 30 years. This assumption is fundamentally flawed, as the bulk of the Great Pyramid was constructed from limestone, with granite reserved primarily for interior chambers.
Even assuming the scientific methodology is theoretically sound, it must undergo thorough calibration and peer review to be considered valid. The input data used in the modelling software must also be rigorously verified, and both the data and processing methods must be made publicly available to allow independent validation.
Publishing only the visualised computer outputs, without disclosing the raw data or computational methodology, undermines the credibility of the findings. In other words, even scientifically robust techniques can produce misleading results if the data input is inaccurate or manipulated to fit a desired narrative, Khaled said.
CREDIBILITY: Egyptologists have raised concerns over the credibility of the findings for three reasons.
First, the original study was published in 2022 and received little attention at the time, an expected outcome given its lack of scientific rigour and limited relevance. The recent surge in interest appears to stem from viral social media posts in March this year, accompanied by mention of a press conference. However, no reputable academic or scientific institution has claimed involvement or responsibility for such a presentation.
Second, there is a significant inconsistency in citing a research paper focused on the Great Pyramid of Khufu within a video that claims discoveries related to the Pyramid of Khafre. If the same technique was used for both sites, despite the method not having been peer-reviewed or scientifically validated, questions arise regarding how the data was collected and why no separate peer-reviewed study was published specifically addressing Khafre's Pyramid.
Resorting to social media videos, rather than scholarly publication, further undermines the credibility of the claim.
Third, the claim involves the existence of eight cylindrical columns beneath the Pyramid of Khafre, each allegedly 648 m in height. This raises serious questions: how could such a high degree of precision be obtained using satellite imagery to examine what lies beneath the Earth's surface? Surrounding these columns are said to be spiral corridors, suggesting that the Pyramid resembles an oil-production platform resting on eight pillars, each extending 648 m deep, while the actual height of the Pyramid of Khafre above ground is only 136 m.
Furthermore, it is claimed that at the base of these columns are two massive chambers, each measuring 80 x 80 m, and that a network of corridors stretching two km connects the Giza Pyramids underground. How were such highly specific underground features measured with satellite technology? If the claims are accurate, which recognised scientific institution conducted this study? And why were these findings not published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, but instead disseminated through videos on social media platforms?
According to Yasser Al-Shayeb, professor of Rock Engineering and its Applications in Archaeology and Heritage at Cairo University and deputy director of the Centre for Archaeological Engineering, dismissed the study as 'neither accurate nor scientific'.
'The geology of the Giza Plateau is well known, thoroughly documented, and understood,' he said, adding that it consists of stratified limestone, which may include small voids or natural fissures, but the idea of massive columns or chambers hundreds of metres underground is scientifically implausible.
Furthermore, it is inconceivable that the ancient Egyptians could have excavated and engineered structures of such scale at such profound depths using the tools and techniques available at the time.
'There is no doubt the ancient Egyptians were master builders,' Al-Shayeb acknowledged. 'We have examples of underground chambers in Saqqara and the Valley of the Kings, particularly during the third and fourth dynasties. However, those structures were typically carved at much shallower depths and even those required incredible effort and planning.'
He pointed out that beneath the Great Pyramid of Khufu the only known subterranean chamber lies just 30 m below ground, a far cry from the 600 claimed in the controversial paper.
'It's a small space, and there are no inscriptions or records to suggest the existence of vast rooms or pillars. The engineering tools and manpower of the time would not have allowed for the excavation of such extensive and deep systems beneath solid rock,' he said.
While new technologies have significantly expanded our ability to explore ancient sites, Al-Shayeb cautioned that they have their limitations.
'We use techniques like thermal imaging, tomography, and geophysical surveys to study these monuments,' he explained. 'But they don't allow for high-resolution imaging at such depths. Even seismic or electrical surveys, as used in the oil industry, cannot detect specific underground objects with the accuracy being claimed.'
He also stressed the importance of transparency and scientific rigour in publishing such findings.
'If these claims were legitimate, they should have been published in a credible, peer-reviewed archaeological journal, not disseminated via social media or speculative videos. Moreover, raw data, methodologies, and imaging should be shared with the wider scientific community for validation.'
He expressed concerns that such speculative claims dilute the real achievements of Egyptian civilisation and distract from ongoing scholarly efforts.
'The Pyramids are not just monuments; they are a symbol of national pride and global heritage. It's our duty to protect the truth about them, Al-Shayeb concluded.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 10 April, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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Al-Ahram Weekly
06-07-2025
- Al-Ahram Weekly
The legacy of Tutankhamun — III - Heritage - Al-Ahram Weekly
In the third in his special series of articles exploring the enduring legacy of Tutankhamun, Zahi Hawass searches for the boy king's relatives among mummies thought to belong to the royal family In recent decades, the field of Egyptology has undergone a quiet revolution fuelled by cutting-edge technology. A major turning point came with the donation to Egypt of a state-of-the-art CT scanner by the National Geographic Society and Siemens AG, along with financial support from the Discovery Channel to build genetic testing facilities. These contributions led to the establishment of two advanced laboratories in Egypt, one in the basement of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo's Tahrir Square and the other at the Faculty of Medicine at Cairo University. For the first time, Egyptologists could conduct sophisticated, non-invasive scientific examinations on ancient remains without needing to send them abroad. In 2005, this technology was put to historic use when the mummy of Tutankhamun became the first to be examined using a CT scanner. What began as an effort to understand the young king's health and cause of death soon evolved into a broader investigation combining CT imaging with DNA analysis to identify his family members among a group of royal mummies from the late 18th Dynasty. This fusion of modern science and ancient history has opened a new chapter in our understanding of Egypt's most enigmatic Pharaohs. Many questions surround the family of Tutankhamun. His parentage has always been unknown, and the archaeological record leaves uncertain other familial relationship between individuals who are presumably closely related to him. However, a number of mummies, some securely identified and others not, hold the potential for more or less definitive answers. A combination of Egyptological investigation and forensic science has shed light on the identities of previously nameless royal remains and drawn unexpected connections among the historical players of the Amarna Period and its aftermath. Several candidates have been proposed for Tutankhamun's father. Additions that Tutankhamun made to the temples of Amenhotep III at Luxor and Soleb saw Tutankhamun identified as 'king's son of his body, whom he loves, Tutankhamun.' Suggestions of Smenkhkare as Tutankhamun's father have been based on the identification of the KV55 tomb mummy as belonging to that king. There are likewise many candidates put forward as Tutankhamun's mother. Tiye, Great Royal Wife of Amenhotep III, was the first to be proposed. The mummy known as the Elder Lady found in KV35 (KV35EL) has long been suspected of belonging to her, although this remained to be proven. A lock of hair found in Tutankhamun's tomb and labelled as Tiye's was matched to the hair of KV35EL. This would seem to indicate some kind of close kinship, but not necessarily that she was Tutankhamun's mother. Tiya, a secondary but prominent wife of Akhenaten, has also been suggested, her subsequent disappearance from the historical record being explained as the result of her death during his birth. Nefertiti has also been proposed as his mother, as have Mitannian princesses, perhaps Tadukhipa, who was the wife of both Amenhotep III and Akhenaten. Other candidates have included the daughters of both kings: Akhenaten's older daughters Meritaten and Meketaten have been suggested, as has the youngest daughter of Amenhotep III and Tiye, Baketaten. Sitamun, another of Akhenaten's sisters, is yet one more candidate, with Amenhotep III hypothesised as the father. THE EGYPTIAN MUMMY PROJECT Two mummified foetuses (Carter 317A and 317B) were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Believed to be the stillborn daughters of Tutankhamun and his wife Ankhesenamun, they were hoped to be viable sources of DNA that would permit the identification of the mummies of the queen and her mother, Nefertiti. Three other mummies were known to belong to Tutankhamun's family even before testing began: Yuya, Thuya and Amenhotep III. The study included other remains suspected of being members, such as those from the tomb KV55. The identity of the KV55 mummy has been one of Egyptology's most enduring enigmas. A recent study of the coffin found in the tomb suggests that it belonged to Akhenaten, whose name was found on it. Thus, it would seem that the burial of Akhenaten, including at least some of its artefacts, was brought from Amarna to Thebes, possibly by Tutankhamun. The skeletal state of the KV55 mummy posed a considerable challenge for analysis. Nonetheless, research had previously concluded that Tutankhamun and the KV55 skeleton shared the same blood type; this, with the inscription of Akhenaten's name on the coffin, prompted a number of scholars to identify the KV55 body as that of Akhenaten. But the age of the skeleton presented a problem for this identification: although one study had put the age at 25, most previous forensic studies had concluded that the skeleton was that of a male who died at the age of 25 or 26, plus or minus several years. In 2000, an examination by archaeologist Joyse Filer of the bones prompted her to put the age at death as the early 20s. Historical evidence indicates that Akhenaten must have been well over 30 when he died. This led many Egyptologists to identify the KV55 body as that of Smenkhkare instead, an enigmatic and ephemeral monarch, possibly Tutankhamun's older brother, who may have shared the throne with Akhenaten for a couple of years before succeeding him. None of these investigations were able to conclusively identify the KV55 skeleton. The KV35EL and KV35YL mummies were included in the project. KV35EL had been tentatively identified as Queen Tiye, and we included this mummy, and KV35YL, in our study in the hopes of confirming their identities. The style of their mummification and lack of bandages and coffins seemed to indicate that they ought to be associated with one another. We also added the two unidentified female mummies found in KV21, KV21A and KV21B. The Egyptian Mummy Project has provided answers to many questions that have been the subject of debate within the Egyptological community, including the identities of Tutankhamun's parents and of the Elder Lady and Younger Lady in the tomb KV35, as will be explained below. This success was achieved by installing the two DNA laboratories, one in the basement of the Egyptian Museum and the other at the Faculty of Medicine at Cairo University. Each lab was staffed by its own scholars and technicians; the two teams had no contact with each other. There was also close cooperation between the Egyptian teams and two German scholars. The resulting CT images were studied separately by Ashraf Selim and Sahar Saleem, both professors of radiology at Cairo University, and by Paul Gostner, head of radiology at the Bolzano General Hospital in Italy. Great care had to be taken to isolate the DNA of each mummy under examination in order to minimise the risk of contamination by current team members, past researchers who had handled the remains, and even the ancient embalmers. To achieve this, in each case biopsy needles drew several samples from the interior of the bone, away from the potentially contaminated surface of the mummy, in the hopes that at least one would prove viable. Samples thus extracted required purification in order to isolate the genetic material from embalming materials and other contaminates. Yehia Gad, Somia Ismail, and German experts Garsten Pusch and Albert Zink undertook this process. The means by which this was achieved was particular to each sample, but in all cases any single misstep could imperil the DNA. Successful isolation would result in clear liquid, but the first attempts with Tutankhamun's genetic material produced a solution that remained clouded by some unknown contaminant from the mummification process. This concerned us because Tutankhamun was the lynchpin of the study. Two months of additional work resolved the issue, delivering DNA ready for the next steps in the process: amplification and sequencing. RESULTS With the isolation and amplification of the ancient DNA achieved, comparing the Y chromosomes, the chromosome passed from father to son of the male mummies (Tutankhamun, Amenhotep III, KV55), was a straightforward process. The results demonstrated that these three were indeed related, but to pinpoint the relationship among them it was necessary to profile (or 'fingerprint') the DNA of each, an additional process that involves close examination of the approximately one per cent of DNA that differs among individuals. Such analysis focuses on the base pairs (made of adenine, cytosine, guanine, or thymine) that hold together the two halves of the DNA double helix. In certain areas of the DNA, the pattern of repetition of these base pairs sufficiently varies from individual to individual. For example, the forensic investigation of trace DNA left behind at a crime scene can identify one particular person. Comparisons of the DNA of different individuals can reveal the 'blood relationship,' if any, between them, as is routinely done for paternity testing. Our analysis of the ancient DNA indicated a probability in excess of 99.99 per cent that Amenhotep III was the father of the man interred in KV55. The probability that the man interred in KV55 was the father of Tutankhamun was equally great. However, while DNA testing could prove that the KV55 mummy was a son of Amenhotep III, it could not provide a specific historical identification. After Tutankhamun, perhaps the most important mummy in the study was the skeleton from KV55. If our radiological examination authenticated the majority of studies that pinned this individual's death as happening in his 20s, it would preclude these remains from being those of Akhenaten. Such a finding would support, though not prove, the usual hypothesis that this was the body of Smenkhkare. However, in fact analysis of the CT scan indicated that the individual from KV55 might have been as old as 40 at the time of his death. This certainly allows for the possibility that the skeleton is that of Akhenaten, who reigned for 17 years. Feeling that this identification is indeed most likely, we labelled the body in this way at the Egyptian Museum. However, we must also admit that so little is known about Smenkhkare that the possibility that the body is his cannot be entirely ruled out. The two anonymous mummies from KV35 provided candidates for female relatives of Tutankhamun, particularly as the lock of hair found in Tutankhamun's tomb seemed to link him in some intimate way to KV35EL. Fortunately, the mummies of Tiye's parents, Yuya and Thuya, had been found in situ in their tomb (KV46) and thus were known with certainty. Indeed, the genetic analysis confirmed KV35EL as their daughter. Furthermore, and as anticipated, the KV55 mummy genetically matched as the offspring of KV35EL. Perhaps the most curious results of the genetic fingerprinting came from KV35YL. She proved to be not only a daughter of Amenhotep III and Tiye but also the mother of Tutankhamun. Thus, it seems probable that Akhenaten married one of his own full sisters. No evidence indicates that either Nefertiti or Tiya was Akhenaten's sister, which rules out the identification of either of these royal wives as Tutankhamun's mother. Besides Sitamun and Baketaten, mentioned previously, other daughters of Amenhotep III and Tiye include Iset, Hennuttaneb, and Nebetiah. The tomb of Kheruef shows Amenhotep with eight unnamed daughters, some of whom may be identical to those just named. Which of these women gave birth to the future boy king will most likely never be determined. Nonetheless, the effects of this full-sibling parentage clearly had an impact on the royal offspring, as the examination of Tutankhamun himself amply demonstrated. These results of the Egyptian Mummy Project were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association after undergoing its rigorous peer-review process. Besides shedding light on the particulars of the royal family of the late 18th Dynasty, our study demonstrates that the techniques of genetic analysis and radiological study hold great promise for resolving other mysteries presented by the historical record and providing new and unexpected insights into pharaonic Egypt. FOETUSES FROM KV62 In the so-called treasury of Tutankhamun's tomb, the discoverer of the tomb, Howard Carter, found a box, designated No 317, in which two miniature anthropoid coffins had been placed. Each of these tiny coffins contained a mummified foetus, 317a and 317b, which Carter removed in 1925. The latter was in a particularly good condition. Douglas Derry, the anthropologist who first studied the human remains from the tomb, described 317a and 317b as female and five months and seven months of age, respectively. Mummy 317b underwent an examination conducted by R. G. Harrison in 1978. He estimated its age to be as young as 35 weeks of gestation or as late as full term and identified congenital abnormalities of the shoulder (Sprengle's deformity) and spine (spinal dysraphism and scoliosis). A more recent study of the other mummy, 317a, undertaken by Catherine Hellier and Robert Connolly in 1978, concluded that it had achieved a gestation of 30 weeks. The Egyptian Mummy Project performed CT scans of both foetuses at the Faculty of Medicine because they were too fragile to transport to the Egyptian Museum. Confirmation of Derry's conclusion that 317a was female proved to be impossible because the remains had deteriorated to so great an extent, but analysis of the scan was able to determine that this foetus had died at 24.6 weeks gestational age. No skeletal deformities were detected. The scans revealed material of both high and low CT densities within the skull, probably the remains of brain tissue and possibly embalming material. The body cavity likewise showed evidence of embalming in the form of structures that appeared to be visceral packs. Once again, however, the poor condition of the mummy prevented the discovery of more definitive evidence of artificial mummification, such as embalming slits. The cause of death could not be determined. The results from 317b were considerably better, to the extent that it was possible to create two-and three-dimensional digital images of the body. This was definitively identifiable as female. The age of 36.78 weeks (nine months) of gestation at death was determined in part by examination (by CT scan) of the extent of mineralisation of the teeth and the presence of multiple ossification centres of the cartilage, confirming the conclusion by Harrison in 1986, which had been revised down to 30 weeks of gestation by Hellier and Connolly in 2008. It seems very likely that 317b had been artificially mummified; an incision, 18 mm long, was found on the left groin. The CT scans permitted a reinterpretation of anomalies associated with Sprengel's deformity detected by previous X-rays. The raised left scapula, long left clavicle, and open veritable laminae were shown to have been the result of trauma delivered postmortem. A DNA study to compare 317b with mummy KV21A was undertaken but not fully accomplished. Preliminary results suggest a primary relationship between these two mummies, suggesting that the unidentified KV21A could in fact be Ankhesenamun. Unfortunately, the study remains incomplete due to the 25 January Revolution in 2011. We hope to continue our research in the future. MARFAN SYNDROME The art of the Amarna Period portrayed Akhenaten with long limbs, a narrow face, an elongated head, and androgynous features. These first three of these have led to the suggestion that the family of Akhenaten, including Tutankhamun, had Marfan Syndrome. Marfan Syndrome is the result of any of a large number of mutations to a specific gene (FBNI, on chromosome 15) responsible for the production of fibrillin, a component of the body's connective tissue. The effects of Marfan Syndrome are a weakening of this tissue, which supports, strengthens, and gives elasticity to joints and organs. Marfan Syndrome can adversely affect the cardiovascular and skeletal systems, as well as the eyes, skin, and lungs. Visible physical traits related to it include tall stature and lean build with disproportionately long limbs and digits. As most cases of Marfan Syndrome are inherited, CT scans of not only the KV55 mummy but also those of other family members were examined for these traits. Included in the examination were the following mummies: Tutankhamun, 317a, 317b, Amenhotep II, KV35EL, and KV35YL, as well as the purported mummies of Thutmose I and Thutmose II. Clinical diagnosis of the Syndrome requires the examination of soft tissues (eg, the aorta and the lens of the eye) unavailable in mummies, which instead must be examined for skeletal abnormalities. The state of preservation of some of the remains, notably the mummy from KV55 and that of Amenhotep III, posed difficulties for obtaining the required metrics. Nonetheless, possible measurements of the shape of the skull were obtained and analysed digitally to determine the skull index (ie, the ration of breadth and length), with skulls being classified as mesocephalic (normal) or dolichocephalic (elongated). Examination of the CT scans did reveal some traits that could be considered associated with Marfan Syndrome, but these are not in and of themselves diagnostic of the condition, which must be proven by genetic evaluation. Mild doliocephaly was present (Tutankhamun, Yuya, Thutmose II, and Thutmose I) but only to a degree that seems to be a family trait rather that congenital abnormality. There was kyphosocoliosis (abnormal curvature of the spine) displayed by Tutankhamun, the KV55 mummy, Yuya, Thutmose II, and Thutmose I. The KV55 mummy presented a cranio-facial measurement indicating a slightly elongated-to-normal skull and a narrow face. There were no traces of Marfan Syndrome in Amenhotep III, Tiye, or KV35YL. (The condition of the two foetuses from Tutankhamun's tomb precluded proper examination for the condition.) In sum, the CT examinations detected none of the diagnostic criteria for Marfan Syndrome among the mummies of the 18th-Dynasty royal family. Furthermore, the examinations led us to the conclusion that the unusual aspects of Akhenaten's androgynous appearance were entirely an artistic convention, driven by the king's self-identification with the solar disk that, as the universal creator and source of all life, necessarily embodied both male and female principles. * A version of this article appears in print in the 3 July, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
CairoScene
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Saudi Spacetech SARsatX Raises $2.6 Million for Satellite Deployment
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