Tutankhamun, the young king of Ancient Egypt, was born from an incestuous marriage, scientists said in a statement. This helps explain why he limped on clubfoot and had other deformities and genetic defects.
In 1922, research, including tests on the pharaoh’s mummy found in the Valley of the Kings, showed that his parents were siblings, while he had only grandparents.
Incestuous alliances were common among Egyptian royalty. “A king can 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,” Egyptologist Zahi Hawass told a press conference at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
There have long been speculations about the fate of the king, who died around 1324 BC, when he was probably 19 years old. Scientists had reported on DNA tests and CT scans conducted on Tutankhamun and 15 other mummies between 2007 and 2009. The new information revealed that he suffered from malaria, cleft palate and genetic bone disease.
“This 21st century medical science allows for a more precise reconstruction of history,” Albert Zink, a member of the research team, told Reuters.
Akhenaten, the “heretical” king who introduced monotheism to ancient Egypt, was identified as Tutankhamun’s father. Akhenaten is thought to have first married Nefertiti, known for her beauty, and then married her sister in order to have a son.
Hawass said it would take several months to uncover more details about the identity of Tutankhamun’s mother. They identified Ankhsenamun as Tutankhamun’s wife. Two fetuses found in Tutankhamun’s treasure-filled tomb were identified as his children.
The depictions of Akhenaten’s oddly feminine physique stemmed from the belief that the god the pharaoh represented was androgynous. “Artists used Akhenaten’s poem to the god, ‘you are man… you are woman,’ as a model for depicting fertility and the source of life,” Hawass said.
He dismissed claims that Tutankhamun and his father suffered from “Marfan syndrome” and other conditions that could lead to enlarged breasts.