November 2025
On 11 November 1925, Tutankhamun’s body was examined in a repurposed tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
I was glad to share my perspective with The Times to mark the centenary, challenging the narrative of a frail pharaoh.
As we mark one hundred years since Tutankhamun was first forensically studied, it is worth remembering that the methods used then were detrimental by today’s standards. The team faced extraordinary challenges: his mummified remains were glued to the coffin, the result of solidified resin. That does not diminish how sad it is that Tutankhamun was treated in this manner. It reminds us how far medical techniques have come, and how much care we now take in preserving ancient lives.
For a fuller account, see my article on the forensic examination of Tutankhamun in Nile Magazine.