Ever since the pharaoh Tutankhamun was discovered in his tomb in 1922 by the British archaeologist Howard Carter debate has raged as to his real identity. In recent years the advance in DNA profiling has given hope that Tut's family connections could possibly be revealed.

The results of important DNA tests carried out in Egypt announced today have now identified Tutankhamun's parents, but who are they? The mystery parents have been identified but have yet to be positively named by conventional archaeological means.

At a momentous press conference held in Cairo this morning the17th February Dr Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities announced the results of DNA tests on Tut's mummy carried out by a team of Egyptian scientists from the National Research Centre, Cairo University's Faculty of Medicine and two German DNA specialists on behalf, of the Egyptian Mummy Project headed by Hawass.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association the results have produced a possible family tree that suggests that Tutankhamun was the son of the anonymous mummy in tomb KV55 in the Valley of the Kings. His mother, also anonymous, was possibly buried in tomb KV35. Through the DNA testing of a group of other royal mummies it suggests that Tut's Grandparents were the pharaoh Amenhotep (Amenophis) III and his queen Tiye. Tutankhamun's great grand parents were Yuya and Thuya whose mummies were found in tomb KV46 in the Valley of the Kings.

Unfortunately as the mummies in KV55 and KV35 have not been positively identified by conventional archaeological means, they can only be identified by "reverse engineering", which may suggest that Tutankhamun's father was the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten. But while it may be possible to link Tutankhamun with the mummy in KV55 by DNA it is still not possible to be certain of the identity of the mummy. So some of the mystery still remains.

Another uncertainty is the parentage of the remains of foetus 1 and foetus 2 buried in Tutankhamun's tomb. Only partial data was able to be recovered and a attempt to produce a sequence was not successful. The identity of their possible mother buried in tomb KV21 also remains a mystery for the same reason.

Staff at the Tutankhamun Exhibition on view in Dorchester have been eagerly awaiting the results of these momentous tests carried out on the mummy of Tutankhamun and other royal mummies.

Tim Batty, general manager of the Tutankhamun Exhibition said " We have been preparing to display the results of the DNA tests in a special display at the exhibition in Dorchester as soon as they were announced. It's another piece of the great jigsaw surrounding the life and death of Tutankhamun. We are sure the public will find it enthralling".

He continued "In addition to genetic information on Tut's family connections the DNA tests have reveal further information such as diseases and inherited problems that may have afflicted Tutankhamun. The tests show that Tutankhamun was infected with Malaria that may have killed him. But it is also possible that he may have been infected but not to a degree that caused his death. For good measure the tests on his great grand parents Yuya and Thuya show that they too were infected with Malaria. The Malaria just adds to the many possible causes of his death."

The results of the DNA tests will be on display at The Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester from Thursday, 18th February.

Background to the tests

The results of the DNA tests were hoped by many to settle exactly how Tutankhamun fits into the picture of the Egyptian 18th Dynasty family tree.

The fact that the tests have been carried out at all is a welcome U turn by Dr Zahi Hawass who has in the past treated the idea of DNA testing with scepticism. Hawass is reported as saying "From what I understand, it is not always accurate and it cannot always be done with complete success when dealing with mummies. Until we know for sure that it is accurate, we will not use it in our research"

In December 2000 a team from Cairo's Ein Shams University and Waseda University in Japan were given permission to take tissue samples. However the Egyptian Government withdrew permission at the last moment. The Supreme Council of Antiquities turned down the tests on the grounds that it was unlikely to produce results and it could damage the already fragile mummy. Hawass is on record as saying that DNA analysis would not lead to anything and therefore the tests were out of the question.

In 2003, Professor Scott Woodward, a microbiologist from Brigham Young University (USA) who had previously carried out DNA on a group of 27 royal mummies at the Cairo Museum was asked to carry out the DNA tests but then again the Egyptian Government rescinded on the grounds of "national security".

The chances of establishing a successful DNA sequence for a mummy are not good. Professor Woodward who carried out tests on 27 royal mummies was only able to establish 12 successful sequences.

In the results of the DNA tests announced today 3 sequences could not be established, foetus 1 and 2 and the mummy in tomb KV21 thought to be their mother. Tutankhamun's link as possible father can at present not be fully established.

The condition and treatment of the body during mummification may have a bearing on successful. DNA is fragile easily decomposes, breaking the strands of DNA into fragments, which can result in false sequencing.

Staff at the Tutankhamun Exhibition showing in Dorchester are eagerly awaiting the results of a momentous test carried out on the mummy of Tutankhamun. The results to be announced at a press conference in Cairo on Wednesday 17th February may change our knowledge of this world famous pharaoh by revealing who Tutankhamun really was. Ever since Tutankhamun was discovered in his tomb in 1922 by the British archaeologist Howard Carter debate has raged as to the real identity of Tutankhamun. In recent years the advance of DNA profiling has given hope that Tut's family connections could possibly be revealed.

Tim Batty, general manager of the Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester, said today: "After over ten years of repeated requests by international scientists and subsequent refusals by the Egyptian authorities to run DNA analyses on Tutankhamun's mummy, the world, may, just may, discover who this legendary pharaoh really is. In addition to genetic information as to Tut's family connections it is possible for the DNA tests to reveal other information such as diseases and inherited problems that may have afflicted Tutankhamun. There is so much additional information about the young pharaoh we may soon know."

On Wednesday the 17th February at a press conference to be attended by Farouk Hosni the Egyptian Minister of Culture and Dr Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities the results of DNA tests on Tut's mummy will be announced. The tests have been carried out on behalf of the Egyptian Mummy Project headed by Hawass, by a team of Egyptian scientists from the National Research Centre, Cairo University's Faculty of Medicine and two German DNA specialists.

The Egyptian Mummy Project had previously carried out a CT scan to try to find out how Tutankhamun had died; now they hope to reveal his parentage.

The results of the DNA tests are hoped by many to settle exactly how Tutankhamun fits into the picture of the Egyptian 18th Dynasty family tree.

The Tutankhamun Exhibition's Tim Batty said "We have been preparing to present the results of the DNA tests in a special display at the exhibition in Dorchester as soon as they are announced. It will be really exciting news but there is always a chance that the tests will prove inconclusive"

The fact that the tests have been carried out at all is a welcome U-turn by Dr Zahi Hawass who has in the past treated the idea of DNA testing with scepticism. Hawass is reported as saying "From what I understand, it is not always accurate and it cannot always be done with complete success when dealing with mummies. Until we know for sure that it is accurate, we will not use it in our research"

In December 2000 a team from Cairo's Ein Shams University and Waseda University in Japan were given permission to take tissue samples. However the Egyptian Government withdrew permission at the last moment. The Supreme Council of Antiquities turned down the tests on the grounds that it was unlikely to produce results and it could damage the already fragile mummy. Hawass is on record as saying that DNA analysis would not lead to anything and therefore the tests were out of the question.

In 2003, Professor Scott Woodward, a microbiologist from Brigham Young University (USA), who had previously carried out DNA tests on a group of 27 royal mummies at the Cairo Museum (only 12 of which produced successful DNA sequences), was asked to carry out the DNA tests but then again the Egyptian Government rescinded on the grounds of "national security".

So seven years later Hawass has changed his mind. Can the DNA tests really help in establishing Tut's parentage? Well yes and no. It depends on a number of factors.

Firstly a number of very important and interesting mummies that could play a vital role in Tutankhamun's family tree have yet to be identified. Although possible DNA relationships maybe established with known but anonymous mummies the really important ones are yet to be identified by conventional archaeological means. Any identification would be by "reverse engineering" and therefore circumstantial.

Secondly the chances of establishing a successful DNA sequence for the mummy are not good. Professor Woodward who carried out tests on 27 royal mummies was only able to establish 12 successful sequences.

The condition and treatment of the body during mummification may have a bearing on successful DNA tests and it is known that Tutankhamun's mummy is not in the best of condition. DNA is fragile easily decomposes, breaking the strands of DNA into fragments, which can result in false sequencing. Another possible problem is that excessive handling may have contaminated Tutankhamun's mummy since it was discovered by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings. This could lead to cross contamination. Just a single modern cell could contaminate the analysis making any test void.

The results of the DNA tests will be on display at The Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester from Thursday, 18th February.

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.

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