It's a mystery for the ages: who or what killed King Tutankhamen? Perhaps the most famous of the Egyptian Pharaohs, Tutankhamen was just 19 when he died more than 3,000 years ago. His tomb stuffed with treasures and artifacts was discovered in 1922 and his mummy has been displayed around the world ever since.
But a series of radiographs in 1968 suggested that King Tut has suffered a broken leg and apparent head trauma shortly before his death. That led to a number of theories: a fall from the chariot, septicemia from his broken leg or possibly murder from a blow to the head.
But now archaeologists have made an historic breakthrough. A genetic analysis of the mummy of King Tut and several other family members are sort of archaeological autopsy. Murder, they say, is not likely. They found that the young Pharaoh had several inherited disorders as well as signs of malaria at the time of his death. They theorized that the fracture of his leg coupled with malaria led to a life-threatening condition.
Murder mystery lovers may be disappointed. But archaeologists are excited to use DNA analysis to explore a whole new side of history.
生词汇总：
radiograph: X-ray photographs of the inside of people's bodies for medical purposes X光照片
chariot: a vehicle with two wheels pulled by a horse, used in ancient times in battles and races (古代用于战斗或比赛的）双轮敞篷马车
septicemia: a serious condition in which infection spreads from a part of your body through your blood 败血病
autopsy: an examination of a dead body to discover the cause of death 验尸
inherited: If you inherit a characteristic or quality, you are born with it, because your parents or ancestors also had it. 遗传的
malaria: a disease that is common in hot countries and that you get when a type of mosquito bites you 疟疾
theorize: to think of a possible explanation for an event or fact 从理论上说明, 形成理论
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