Egyptian archaeologist performs CT scan on child mummy in Luxor

For the first time in Egypt’s Luxor, prominent archaeologist Zahi Hawass performed a CT scan on the mummy of a young child with the hope of discovering the identity.
A picture taken on Sept. 29, 2015, shows a wall relief inside the Amenhotep II tomb at the Valley of the Kings.
A picture taken on Sept. 29, 2015, shows a wall relief inside the Amenhotep II tomb at the Valley of the Kings, close to Luxor and south of Cairo, Egypt. - KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images
Baher al-Kady
Baher al-Kady
@baheralkady

CAIRO — In an unprecedented step, prominent archaeologist and former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass performed last month a CT scan and took DNA samples from a mummy belonging to a child who was brought from Tomb KV35 of King Amenhotep II in the Valley of the Kings.

The procedure, which was performed inside Luxor’s Shefaa el-Orman Oncology Hospital dedicated to the free treatment of children with cancer, aimed to identify the mummy and the causes of death and diseases that could have affected the body. This comes within the context of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities project aimed at identifying unknown Pharaonic mummies found in Luxor or elsewhere in Egypt.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.

Videos

See more