| TUTANKHAMUN’S TASTE BUDS REVEALED |

Recently discoveries on Tutankhamun seem to be announced every few months. In the last year archaeologists have carried out a CT scan on Tutankhamun’s mummy and now believe they have solved the mystery surrounding his death. Egyptian Food

Further discoveries of objects left behind in the Tutankhamun’s tomb by the discoverer Howard Carter, have been made by Zahi Hawas, the head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. Now a new book, just published (2nd November) reveals the secrets of the kind of food the young King may have eaten.

Tutankhamun’s Cook Book is the work of Jackie Ridley, who is the Conservation Director of The Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester. The book is not only unique but beautifully designed, bursting on every page with ancient Egyptian and culinary treasures. Jackie’s books have been widely published and translated into a number of languages.

Tutankhamun’s Cook Book is a study of ancient Egyptian cooking, from earliest times until the Roman period. Although small in size the book is packed with recipes and facts, combining the author’s knowledge of Egyptology with her passion for good food.

“Both cooking and history are fun, and this is a great way to bring them together. We can literally taste the past!“ said Jackie.

The result of extensive research based on accurate historical and archaeological evidence, Jackie has brought together a series of mouth-watering ancient Egyptian dishes, specially adapted for today’s western kitchens. They are easy to cook and delicious and exotic to eat. Each is good on its own but can be prepared to form an exciting ancient Egyptian meal. A feast fit for a pharaoh!

Talking about her book, she said “Although we know a great deal about ancient Egyptian culture in general, not a lot has been known about the actual kind of dishes that the ancient Egyptians ate, simply because there are no detailed recipes”.

She continued “I have tried to bring together evidence from all sources to suggest not only the kind of food Tutankhamun may have been served from the royal kitchens, but also other dishes that other pharaohs and nobles of later years may have enjoyed”.

Every page of the book is alive with images of Tutankhamun that combine with fascinating dishes to tempt even the most conservative food lover.

Published by World Heritage Books at £3.99, it is available at bookshops or on www.cookingthepast.com

Further information: Tim Batty on 01305 269741 or tim@worldheritagebooks.com

The book is just published (2nd of November). The price of £4.99 includes shipping!

If you are interested in Egyptian food click here to order this book.
| News |
 

LATEST INVESTIGATION ON TUT’S MUMMY ON SHOW IN DORCHESTER

The results of a ten month scientific investigation of Tutankhamun’s mummy by the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt were presented recently at a conference of the Radiological Society of North America held in Chicago.

The results of the investigation are the subject a special display on the death of the pharaoh at The Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester.

Egyptian radiologists who performed the first-ever computed tomography (CT) evaluation of King Tutankhamun’s mummy believe they have solved the mystery of how the ancient pharaoh died.

Ashraf Selim a radiologist at Cairo University in Egypt part of an international team of scientists that studied the 3,300-year-old mummy of Tututankhamun announced that he believed that the pharaoh had not died as a result of a head injury but of a leg injury that had turned septic. He also announced that the CT scans had showed no evidence of a fracture to the skull which previous investigators had suggested.

Using a mobile multi-detector CT scanner, the researchers performed a full-body scan on the king's remains, obtaining approximately 1,900 digital cross-sectional images.

Michael Ridley, Director of the Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester, said that although it is now clear that earlier investigations on the mummy have produced misleading evidence, the full truth of how and why Tutankhamun died may still have to be decided. He said:

“It is clear from the results of the examination of the mummy have put a different perspective on Tutankhamun’s death.  It is evident from Dr Selims work that Tutankhamun’s leg suffered a fracture but what we cannot be sure of is when that fracture, occurred. What is being suggested is that he fractured his leg and the wound turned septic and killed him. However, there is no evidence to show that the wound turned septic only that the leg had been fractured. It is possible that the fracture may have been post-mortem incurred in the handling of the body by the ancient Egyptian embalmers – we just don’t know, So the mystery of Tutankhamun’s early death still remains”.

The results of the CT Examination together with images and scans can be seen at the Tutankhamun Exhibition, in Dorchester which is open every day including Sundays, from 9.30 am to 5 pm.

 

home