-Caveat Lector- http://www.infobeat.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/IBFrontEnd.woa/wa/fullStory?article=405316608 InfoBeat King Tut DNA test postponed By SALAH NASRAWI Associated Press Writer CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Egypt has indefinitely postponed DNA tests designed to throw light on questions that have intrigued archaeologists for years: Who was Tutankhamun's father, and was he of royal blood? The head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Gaballah Ali Gaballah, said Tuesday that plans for DNA tests on the mummies of Tutankhamun and his presumed grandfather, Amenhotep III, had been canceled. ``There will be no test now and we have to see if there will be one later,'' Gaballah told The Associated Press. He declined to give a reason. Sabri Abdel-Aziz, the council's chief archaeologist in southern Egypt, where the tests were to be conducted, said the Japanese experts assigned to the work had not been granted the required security clearance. He did not say why. The announcement of the planned tests had sparked a controversy among Egyptian archaeologists. Some said they were an unnecessary risk that might harm the mummies. Others said the results might be used to rewrite Egyptian history. ``I have refused in the past to allow foreign teams to carry out such tests on the bones of the Pyramids builders because there are some people who try to tamper with Egyptian history,'' the chief archaeologist of the Giza pyramids, Zahi Hawas, told the Akhbar Al-Yom weekly. DNA testing of mummies has the potential to answer a number of questions about ancient Egypt _ proving information on matters such as family relations, marriage patterns and mixing of ethnic groups. But archaeologists caution that DNA testing has not proved very successful and warn against over-reliance on it. Gaballah said last month that the tests, aimed at comparing Tutankhamun's DNA with that of Amenhotep III, were his department's last resort to end a long-lasting mystery. Tutankhamun ruled Egypt 3,300 years ago from about the age of 8 to his death at 17. He succeeded Amenhotep IV, better-known as Akhenaten, and official policy at the time said Tutankhamun was related by blood to his predecessor. Many Egyptologists question whether Akhenaten really did father Tutankhamun, although they widely agree the boy-king had some sort of royal lineage. The tests were to have been conducted by a team from Japan's Waseda University and Cairo's Ein Shams University. The first test was to be carried out at Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of Kings near the southern town of Luxor, and would have meant closing the tomb for a few hours. The tomb was discovered virtually intact by Briton Howard Carter in 1922. Its treasures provided invaluable insight into Egyptian ancient history. The second test would have been on the mummy of Amenhotep III, which is exhibited at the Egyptian museum in Cairo. Amenhotep III is believed to have been Akhenaten's father. A general named Horemheb largely ran the country during Tut's reign. He and other generals were known to claim royal blood. ------------------------ ©2000 Indimi, Inc., All rights reserved. InfoBeatTM is a trademark of Indimi, Inc. InfoBeat services are for personal use only. Commercial use or redistribution in any form, printed or electronic, is prohibited. ========================= **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only. [Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
