CAIRO: Using DNA testing methods to discover the truth behind Hateshpsut s mummy was an exciting new experience for Egyptian DNA researchers.
The Hateshpsut case was the first in Egypt, where DNA testing is used to determine a mummy s lineage and hereditary diseases.
Dr Yahia Zakaria, a DNA specialist, related to The Daily Star Egypt his exciting experience working side-by-side with archaeologists to unveil the identity of the reputed queen.
A DNA unit was set up in the basement of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Zakaria said the museum s DNA unit meets high sanitary standards and specialists are outfitted with disposable gowns, caps, masks, gloves and overshoes. He believes the unit is ready to make more breakthrough discoveries by working on a number of mummies whose identities have been in the dark for thousands of years.
However, the first experience with DNA testing on mummies did not go without obstacles.
“Dealing with highly-degraded bodies meant that we undertook the same type of forensic tests carried out on decomposed bodies as opposed to DNA tests on fresh cadavers, said Zakaria.
“You have to amplify the sample by a thousand times to be able to [examine it], and the challenge is that it is usually quite difficult to magnify the samples even with the use of special technology, he added.
“In a process that lasted three hours, we managed to take bone samples from the unidentified bodies thought to be that of the queen, her wet nurse, the queen mother Ahmos Nefertari and father Tutmosis I, Zakaria explained.
The results of a DNA comparison with the mummy of Ahmose Nefertari, Hatshepsut s grandmother, provided more evidence supporting the identity of Hatshepsut s mummy.
“The results showed that the queen and the queen mother had a lot in common. Both had fragile bones compared to the wet nurse and Tutmosis I. Both had hereditary diseases, but the queen’s thigh bones were totally worn out. The radiology team’s report indicated that the queen could have been suffering from bone cancer, he continued.
Zakaria said that although DNA testing played a big role in the identification of the mummy, the discovery is mainly credited to the radiologists. Chief radiologist Dr Ashraf Salim was the one who suggested the liver and the tooth, which were found in a separate box, undergo a CT scan. Using computer imaging, the scientists were able to reach the results.
“With the help of these [computer] images, we saw the gap in the mummy’s jaw where the two roots were seen, Zakaria said. The computer imaging showed how neatly the tooth fit into that gap in Hateshpsut s jaw.
This, however, is not the end of the research, said Zakaria. The identification of Hateshpsut s mummy opens the doors to more work for Egyptian DNA specialists, who are all set to review the work of archaeologists and contribute actively in the future of Egyptology.
