Ever since mummy KV55 was discovered in 1907, it has generated deep interest, debate, and controversy. The big issues have been identifying the KV55 mummy in ancient Egyptian history and combining its most probable identity with that person’s proposed age of death.
Could mummy KV55 really be the ‘heretic pharaoh’ Akhenaten, as many scholars believe? If so, a team of scientists at the Forensic Anthropology, Paleopathology and Bioarchaeology (FAPAB) Research Center in Sicily, Italy, have finally revealed the image of this famous pharaoh - and it’s nothing like how he was portrayed in the ancient artwork!
Statue of Akhenaton in the Louvre. (FAPAB Research Center)
Facts and Controversy Surrounding Mummy KV55
- The mummy was found with grave goods attributed to different people and a desecrated coffin in the undecorated tomb KV55 in the Valley of the Kings in 1907 by an Egyptologist named Edward R. Ayrton.
- This tomb is just a few meters from Tutankhamun’s tomb.
- Upon excavation, mummy KV55 disintegrated into dust and bones, so today it’s only a skeleton.
- It was first suggested to be Queen Tyje (due to a broad pelvis), but Australian scientist Grafton E. Smith later declared the remains are male.
- Mummy KV55’s genetic results show this is the genetic father of Tutankhamun, however palaeomolecular experts criticized some of the results in 2010.
- Historical and archaeological research, including some artifacts in the tomb, suggest that mummy KV55 is Akhenaton (Akhenaten).
- Akhenaten (r. 1353–36/35 BC) is known as the ‘heretic pharaoh’ because he developed monotheism, worshipping the one ‘true’ god of Aten (the Sun disk). He was the son of Amenhotep III and the father of Tutankhamun.
- Historical evidence, which is fragmented and conflicting, suggests that Akhenaten died when he was about 40 years old. However mummy KV55 belongs to a man who is believed to have died in his early 20s.
- Some scholars argue that mummy KV55’s age of death demonstrate that this is actually an enigmatic Late Amarna period person named Smenkhkare.
An Exclusive Interview with Dr. Michael E. Habicht
FAPAB Director Francesco M. Galassi, a physician and palaeopathologist, and Egyptological studies coordinator Michael E. Habicht oversaw the creation of the new facial reconstruction of the KV55 mummy, which was completed by the well-known Brazilian expert Cicero Moraes, who has been recognized for his skilled facial reconstructions.
- A Pharaoh Thrice Buried? The Mystery of the Tombs of Pharaoh Akhenaten
- Game of Toes in Amarna: Missing Body Parts and Funerary Practices of King and Commoner
Dr. Michael E. Habicht, who is also an Archaeologist, Egyptologist, and Senior Research Fellow at Flinders University, Australia, told us about the new facial reconstruction and the research team’s perspectives on the mysteries surrounding mummy KV55.
Side view of the facial reconstruction of Mummy KV55. (FAPAB Research Center)
Interview
Alicia McDermott: Please describe the process used to create this facial reconstruction.
Dr. Michael E. Habicht: Based on published data and images from various studies, a three-dimensional skull model of KV 55 was created. This was then checked again against the images.
Mummy KV55’s skull with data points used in the facial reconstruction. (FAPAB Research Center)
Facial muscles, eyes, fat pads and skin are now modelled on this digital skull model using the so-called Manchester method. The tissue thickness is determined for numerous anatomical points based on forensic mean values.
The skin, eyes and shape of the ears are approximations based on the fact that this is an Egyptian, which accounts for brown eyes and a skin complexion that is still common in Egypt today.
AM: How does this facial reconstruction balance forensic art with anatomical and anthropological information?
MH: The facial reconstruction was blindfolded: Cicero Moraes, our expert for face reconstruction, only received the skull data and the information that it was a man from Egypt, and not older than 25 years. Therefore, this reconstruction has no Egyptian crowns or royal jewelry to distort the impression. Therefore, we think that our reconstruction is as objective as possible and follows purely scientific methods.
Steps in the facial reconstruction process. (FAPAB Research Center)
AM: There is a lot of controversy surrounding the skin color of ancient Egyptians, could you please tell us how you made the choice of skin color for this reconstruction?
MH: It is indeed a highly debated topic but it should be assessed with an open mind, pushing away the racist connotations that have characterized this debate in the past. We decided to use skin tone IV (in the Fitzpatrick scale of I-VI) which is typically encountered in Egypt and in the Mediterranean, an olive completion. Based on the available evidence it would be unrealistic to opt for a much lighter or much darker skin tone. Eventually, a new genetic analysis of KV55’s remains would add more evidence.
The facial reconstruction of mummy KV55. (FAPAB Research Center)
AM: Why has it been so difficult to pinpoint an age of death for this mummy?
MH: It wasn’t particularly difficult, to be honest, as the comprehensive study by the late anthropologist Eugen Strouhal demonstrated. It required an objective evaluation using all available skeletal districts and a consultation of the recent anthropological literature.
The main problem was the a priori identification with Akhenaton plus the assumed age at death of the heretic pharaoh (about 30 years old or older). This has represented the main problem, but by objectively assessing the skeleton and published literature it appears clear that it belongs to a younger individual between the end of adolescence and early adulthood, 19-22 years).
The heretic pharaoh Akhenaten. (FAPAB Research Center)
AM: With so much controversy surrounding the mummy’s identification, who do you think is the best candidate? Is it Tutankhamun’s father Akhenaten? If so, how does that information fit with the belief that his death occurred when he was around 40 years of age and this mummy being younger? Or could the mummy be the remains of the enigmatic figure called Smenkhkare, as some scholars have proposed?
MH: It is most reasonable to assume that Akhenaton and Nefertiti are the historical parents of Tutankhamun, due to historic inscriptions. If one accepts the genetic study from 2010, KV 55 shall be the father and the younger lady KV 35 is the genetic mother of Tutankhamun.
Historical records testify 17 years of reign by Akhenaton. It is debated if some of the first years might be a co-regency with his father Amenhotep III. We acknowledge that an age of 22 years and 17 years of reign would make Akhenaton very young at the time of accession.
It would hardly be arguable that Akhenaten could be the real father of the eldest daughters (Meritaton, Maketaton and possibly also Anchesenamun). The mummies of these daughters have not yet been identified, so Amenhotep III could also be the father (contrary to inscriptional propaganda). Since Tutankhamun was only born in the 12th year of Akhenaten, it is still possible that Akhenaten was the real father, even if he was very young.
If Smenkhkare is assumed to be the father of Tutankhamun, this is also problematic. There is no certain historical evidence that Smenkhkare was a younger brother of Akhenaten.
Moreover, many experts argue that Smenkhkare is in fact the fictitious figure that Queen Nefertiti assumed at the end of Akhenaten's reign to succeed him as male king (analogous to Hatshepsut, who ruled as King Maat-Ka-Ra).
- The Mystery of Egyptian Tomb KV55 in the Valley of the Kings
- Egyptologists Set to Unravel the Identity of Mystery Pharaoh from Tomb KV55
A relief of a royal couple in the Amarna style; figures have variously been attributed as Akhenaten and Nefertiti, Smenkhkare and Meritaten, or Tutankhamen and Ankhesenamun. (Public Domain)
AM: If this is Akhenaton, why does he look so different from the ancient representations of the ‘heretic pharaoh?’ Could it be due to the style of art that was used by artists in the Amarna period?
MH: Egyptian art is generally not very realistic, but reflects a desired ideal image, especially in the case of the king. In the Amarna period, a grotesque, almost comic-like sense of art was introduced. In the course of time, art became more moderate and elegant again (the famous Berlin bust of Nefertiti is in this later tradition). It is therefore not surprising that the family members of the royal family of Amarna look normal and not like in Amarna art.
Broken colossal statue of Akhenaten in the Amarna art style. (FAPAB Research Center)
The research team is currently finishing work on a full-length anthropological report of their study of mummy KV55 and their facial reconstruction. It will be published in a peer-reviewed international journal.
Top Image: New facial reconstruction of the KV55 mummy. Source: FAPAB Research Center
By Alicia McDermott
![The Great Pyramid Of Giza Top image: The Great Pyramid of Giza under a starlit sky, highlighting the North Face. Source: [Pixabay/Creative Commons] Image](/sites/default/files/styles/article_popular/public/field/image/Great%20Pyramid%20Of%20Giza_0.jpg?itok=EjAqNQlu)
Comments
Keep on trying to convince
Permalink
In reply to Myths by Senowsret
Keep on trying to convince people that ancient Black Egypt was a white British people from England, and that King tut was the Queens 150 great grandfather ha ha.. You reminding me of that KIX cereal commercial when the Rabbit tries to eat a kids cereal, and he tells the rabbit “KIX ARE FOR KIDS YOU SILLY RABBIT” ha ha.. Your LIES are for the most ignorant and vulnerable people who will believe your crap.. Later Senowsret
Myths
Permalink
In reply to Yeah, that is disgusting if by Charles Bowles
Chuckie,
When pressed for scientific proof of your fraudulent claims for your fake “Black Egypt”, you continually struggle to find scientific support for your bogus claims; not one shred of genetic nor linguistic evidence, just your fall back myths, legends, anecdotes and hearsay, while labeling evidence to the contrary to your cultural appropriation of my great heritage as biased and racist. You simply project your own Black supremacism; simply White supremacism in black face.
Seek Jesus or help immediately,
Yeah, that is disgusting if
Permalink
In reply to York by Senowsret
Yeah, that is disgusting if the allegations were true and not fabricated by the government? However, I don’t see any connection between Dr Dwight York’s criminal case of 2002,and the accomplishments of ancient Black Egyptians dating back more than 5000 yrs while they were making history by inventing paper, Ink, needles & thread, clothing, doors, locks and keys, as well as building the worlds first multi story buildings, Aqueducts, tunnels, Obelisks, Dams along the Nile, and their famous GREAT PYRAMIDS which the whole world admire and many countries even print their world famous pyramids on their currencies? I don’t see what Dr Yorks case has to do with the fact that the ancient Black Egyptians came from where the Nile began, and where God Hapi dwell, at the foothills of the mountain of the moon as mentioned in their ancient book called “Book Of The Dead”, Also, nor do I see what does Dr Yorks criminal case has to do with ancient Black Egyptians making the worlds first “AFRO HAIR WIGS” to place on their royal shaved dark bald heads, and not blond, red, brunette stingy white human looking hair wigs? I believe in FACTS, and not some white pseudo science that makes people like you feel special because of your depressed mental state..
York
Permalink
In reply to Ancient Black Egyptan by Charles Bowles
Chuckie,
This is your Afrocentric Master Elder:
Dwight D. York[1] (born June 26, 1945[2][3]), also known as Malachi Z. York, Issa Al Haadi Al Mahdi, Dr. York, et alii, is an American criminal, musician, and writer who is known as the founding leader of various religious/political groups, including most notably the United Nation of Nuwaubian Moors, a religious ministry that has existed in some form since the 1960s.[4][5] He is a convicted child molester.
Dwight York
Born
June 26, 1945 (age 76)
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Other names
Dr. Malachi Z. York, Issa Al Haadi Al Mahdi, and others
Organization
Nuwaubian Nation
Criminal status
Incarcerated at ADX Florence in Florence, Colorado
Spouse(s)
Kathy Johnson
Criminal charge
Rape, child molestation, racketeering and conspiracy, fraud
Penalty
135 years in prison
He and his group were based in Brooklyn, New York. Around 1990 the community relocated to rural Putnam County, Georgia, where they built a large complex. York was convicted in 2004 of child molestation and violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.[4] He is serving a 135-year sentence.
York began his ministry in the late 1960s. In 1967 he was preaching to the "Ansaaru Allah" (viz. African Americans) in Brooklyn, New York, during the period of the Black Power movement. He founded numerous orders under various names during the 1970s and 1980s. These were at first based on pseudo-Islamic themes and Judaism (Nubian Islamic Hebrews). Later he developed a theme derived from "Ancient Egypt," mixing ideas taken from black nationalism, cryptozoological and UFO religions, and popular conspiracy theory. He last called his group the United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, or Nuwabians.
York and the Nuwaubians came under scrutiny in the early 1990s, after they built Tama-Re, an Egyptian-themed "city" for about a hundred of his followers, in rural Putnam County, Georgia. Before York's trial, the community had been joined directly and in the area by hundreds of other followers from out of state, while alienating both black and white local residents. The community was intensively investigated after numerous reports that York had molested numerous children of his followers.
York was arrested in May 2002. In 2004 he was convicted on federal charges of transporting minors across state lines for the purposes of sexual molestation, as well as racketeering and financial reporting violations. York's case was reported as the largest prosecution for child molestation ever directed at a single person in the history of the United States, both in terms of number of victims and number of incidents.
Arrest and conviction of child molestation (2002–present)
Beginning in Brooklyn, York had established strict sexual practices within the community, reserving for himself sexual access to many women and girls, including wives and children of followers.
Theodore Gabriel wrote about these practices:
[W]hile extolling the virtues and importance of family life and the conjugal relationship, he [York] denies such relationships to his followers except at strictly controlled intervals. He urges his female followers to pattern themselves on the Islamic paradigms of the wife and the mother, apparently desiring the creation of stable family units. But in reality the husbands and wives are segregated in dormitories, separated also from their children. York permits spouses to cohabit only once every three months. They are permitted to meet in the "Green Room" by prior appointment only.[27]
Anonymous letters were sent to Putnam County officials alleging child molestation at the Nuwaubian community. The FBI, which had started investigating the group in 1993, assigned a major task force to it. In 2002 York was arrested and charged with more than 100 counts of sexually molesting dozens of children, some as young as four years old. According to Bill Osinski, who wrote a 2007 book about York and the case:
When he [York] was finally indicted, state prosecutors literally had to cut back the number of counts listed — from well beyond a thousand to slightly more than 200 — because they feared a jury simply wouldn't believe the magnitude of York's evil.… [It] is believed to be the nation's largest child molestation prosecution ever directed at a single person, in terms of number of victims and number of alleged criminal acts.[28]
In early 2003 York's lawyer had him evaluated by a forensic psychologist, who diagnosed a DSM-IV
impression consisting of Axis I – Clinical Syndrome of Delusional (Paranoid) Disorder, Generalized anxiety disorder, Adjustment disorder with depressed mood, and Axis II – personality disorders; histrionic personalitytraits, self-defeating personality traits, and schizotypal personality features.[29]
In 2003, York entered into a plea bargain that was later dismissed by the judge. He was convicted by a jury on January 23, 2004. The judge rejected his plea to be returned for trial to his own "tribe," after York claimed status as an indigenous person:
Your Honor, with all due respects to your government, your nation, and your court, we the indigenous people of this land have our own rights, accepted sovereign, our own governments. We are a sovereign people, Yamassee, Native American Creeks, Seminole, Washitaw Mound Builders. And all I'm asking is that the Court recognize that I am an indigenous person. Your court does not have jurisdiction over me. I should be transferred to the Moors Cherokee Council Court in which I will get a trial by juries of my peers. I cannot get a fair trial, Your Honor, if I'm being tried by the settlers or the confederates. I have to be tried by Native Americans as a Native American. That's my inalienable rights, and it's on record.[30]
He asserted to the court that he was a "secured party," and answered questions in court with the response: "I accept that for value." This may have been a heterodox legal strategy based on patriot mythology.[31][clarification needed]
Early in 2004, York was convicted in federal court by a jury of multiple RICO, child molestation, and financial reporting charges. He was sentenced to 135 years in prison.[32]
His case was appealed to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the convictions on October 27, 2005.[33] A U.S. Supreme Court appeal was denied in June 2006.[34]
York's followers assert a number of defenses, including that their leader Malachi Z. York, who was charged and convicted, is not the same person as the Dwight D. York who is listed in court documents as the defendant. (One of York's sons is named Dwight, and sometimes the claim is made that it is York's son and not York who is or should be the real defendant.) Others say that York was "set up" by his son Jacob in coordination with al Qaeda-linked American mosques jealous of York's influence among black Muslims.[citation needed]
York believes that his betrayal, arrest, trial and imprisonment (and eventual release) were foretold in chapter 10 of Zecharia Sitchin's The Wars of the Gods and the Men, with York being represented by Mar-duq in that story.[35]
Imprisonment
As of 2020 Dwight York is serving his sentence at the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) in Florence, Colorado, as Inmate # 17911-054. His projected release date is July 12, 2120.[36]
York's followers have said that since 1999 York has been a Consul General of Monrovia, Liberia, under appointment from then-President Charles Taylor. They argue he should be given diplomatic immunity from prosecution and extradited as a persona non-grata to Liberia.[37] Officials have not accepted this claim.
Disgusting,
Chuckie
Permalink
In reply to Ancient Black Egyptan by Charles Bowles
Still lying. You've got nothing but feelings. We've got science.