MASK RIDDLE
Is famous Tutankhamun mask actually someone ELSE? Mystery over ‘cursed’ relic as ‘clue proves it wasn’t meant for him’
The find adds more credit to the theory that King Tut's burial was rushed following his sudden death
THE MYSTERY surrounding King Tutankhamun's death has deepened following a new shocking revelation about a 'cursed relic'.
The conclusion is based off of one crucial missed detail on the Egyptian's iconic gold and blue death mask that proves it.
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Experts now claim that the historical figure's death mask might not have been made specifically for the young leader.
A research team from the University of York has hypothesised that the holes in the ears of the lavish head piece suggests that the mask was intended for a high status female or child.
Professor Joann Fletcher said in a new History Hit documentary: "This mask was not made for an adult male pharaoh when the gold was compared, [they found] the face is made of completely different gold to the rest.
One document stood out to Fletcher: "Honed in on one long-overlooked feature... the decidedly pierced ears (on the death mask).
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"To deepen the enigma, dark spots are scattered across the walls of King Tut's tomb marks that scores of experts point to as a sign the paint was still wet when the tomb was sealed, hinting at the hurried nature of its completion".
This breakthrough would mean that Tut's sudden death at 18 may have seen the shape of his face quickly grafted on top of the mask's true owner.
It has been suggested that the mask's true owner was Tut's stepmother - Queen Nefertiti, reports say.
This included information of body modifications that didn't line up with ancient Egyptian tradition.
Most read in Science
Pharaohs did where earrings, but these piercings did not carry to the death mask
Only dead children and queens were allowed these details.
Ancient Egyptian Tombs: Over a Thousand Mummies Unveiled
A pharaoh's mask was made of gold or silver, while lesser people's were fashioned from wood or clay.
This theory was originally put forward by Egyptologist Nicola Reeves who claimed the face covering was in fact made for Neferfiti.
Her tomb has yet to be discovered, so her body is still missing to this day.
Joann's team came to their theory after re-examining existing records of the 1922 excavation.
KING TUT MYSTERY SOLVED
This revelation follows claims from experts that they have finally solved the "Pharaoh's curse".
The say lethal toxic waste was left lingering in the unopened tombs when they were originally built.
Many ancient tombs across Egypt are thought to be filled with huge amounts of radioactivity, claims the Journal of Scientific Exploration ().
Due to the high levels of radiation inside the tombs anyone who comes into contact could develop cancer and radiation sickness that could be fatal.
An exert from the JSE research paper claims: "The nature of the curse was explicitly inscribed on some tombs, with one translated presciently as, 'they that break this tomb shall meet death by a disease that no doctor can diagnose'."
Tutankhamun's tomb isn't the only radioactive hotspot as several burial sites including the eerie Osiris' grave and the Saqqara Necropolis are also reportedly overflowing with radioactive waste.
Who was King Tutankhamun?
Here's everything you need to know about the Boy King...
- King Tutankhamun is the most famous of Egypt's ancient pharaohs
- He ruled Egypt more than 3,000 years ago from 1332 to 1323 BC
- Tut is known as the "boy king" as he was just 10 years old when he took the thrown
- When he became the king he married his half-sister Ankhesenpaaten. They had two daughters together but both were stillborn.
- Tut died aged just 19 under mysterious circumstances
- Some believe that King Tut was assassinated but most believe that his death was an accident
- The pharaoh is also famous for the supposed curse that haunts his tomb
- After the tomb's discovery in 1922, archaeologists, and even their family members, died from horrible illnesses or in strange accidents – and some say the deaths weren't a coincidence
It is also believed the people who originally built the tombs knew about the toxic atmosphere and sensationally left inscriptions on the walls warning of an incurable disease.
The curse comes after the first four men to open up Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 all ended up dying.
Pictures have also revealed a museum set to display more than 100,000 ancient antiquities, including King Tut's remains.
The architectural marvel is being built for the Egyptian Ministry of Culture to house thousands of pharaonic artefacts from the ancient era.
The museum's vast collection of antiquities will include the complete collection of King Tutankhamun's treasures from his tomb.
One of the highlights of the museum is a 3,200-year-old sculpture of Egyptian pharaoh Rameses II.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Tourists and history fanatics can now visit the Great Egyptian Museum, which is offering access to limited areas ahead of the official opening.
The museum is expected to open to the public by the end of the year.
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