History Forum / General / Archaeology / June 2007

Zahi Hawass claims that the mummy found by Howard Carter in 1903 in Tomb
KV60 is that of Hatshepsut.

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6244516.stm>

"'Find of century' for Egyptology
 
The mummy was discovered by Howard Carter in 1903

Egyptologists say they have identified the 3,000-year-old mummy of
Hatshepsut, Egypt's most powerful female ruler.

Egypt's antiquities chief Zahi Hawass made the official announcement at
a packed news conference in Cairo.

It is being billed as the biggest archaeological find in Egypt since the
1922 discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb.

Archaeologists hope the mummy, which has lain unrecognised for decades,
will yield clues about the mystery of her death and subsequent
disappearance.

Mr Hawass has set up a DNA lab near the museum with an international
team of scientists to verify the identification.

The study was funded by the US television channel Discovery which is to
broadcast a documentary on the subject in July.

An important piece of the evidence is said to be that the mummy has a
missing tooth, and the gap matches exactly an existing relic, a
preserved tooth engraved with Hatshepsut's name. "