Skip to content
Digital News Report Logo
Menu
  • News
  • Business
  • Science
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Audio Books
  • Quizzes
  • Videos
Menu

Home » Sci - Tech » King Tut Died of Malaria and Suffered From Cleft Pallet and Clubbed Foot

King Tut Died of Malaria and Suffered From Cleft Pallet and Clubbed Foot

By Sam Lee on February 16, 2010
alt text
Tut receives flowers from Ankhesenamen

Digital News Report – King Tutankhamun may have died from complications brought on by malaria, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The most famous pharaoh was also the offspring of incest, had a clubbed foot and a cleft pallet (see the list of other pharaohs below).

King Tut ruled ancient Egypt from 1333 to 1323 (or 1324) BC, during the 18th dynasty which lasted from 1550-1295 BC. His brief rein of only 10 years started when he was only 9-years of age. He rejected the radical religious innovations introduced by his father, Akhenaten.

So what is so special about Tut? His tomb and remains were discovered intact by Howard Carter in 1922. The burial was not looted like so many other sites. There was gold and other riches discovered.

Previously scientists speculated that he may have died from foul-play. However new evidence suggests he died of natural causes. He was worshiped as a god and honored with a cult-like following in his own lifetime,.

A hole in his skull, once thought to be the result of an assassin, was found to be part of the mummification process. After two years of DNA testing and CT scans it appears the king died of complications from a broken leg exacerbated by malaria.

His mother may have been a sister of his father. All of the members of the later kingdoms were probably inbred. He may have suffered from several genetic disorders and may have needed a cane to walk. His father had a cleft pallet and his grandfather had a clubbed foot.

DNA tests are being run on others mummies to determine lineage. Here is a list of the rulers during the 18th dynasty:

Ruler Beginning End Years Total
Ahmose 1550 1525 25
Amenhotep 1525 1504 21
Thutmose 1504 1492 12
Thutmose II 1492 1479 13
Hatsepsut 1479 1457 22
Thutmose III 1479 1425 54
Amenhotep II 1427 1401 26
Thutmose IV 1401 1391 10
Amenhotep III 1391 1353 38
Akhenaten 1353 1335 18
Smekhkare 1336 1335 1
Nefemefeuten 1335 1333 2
Tutankhamun 1333 1323 10
Ay 1323 1319 4
Horemheb 1319 1292 27

By: Sam Lee
Science Writer

  1. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
  2. Brittany Murphy’s Husband Died
  3. Banana Slug, King Snake Make Aquarium Debut
  4. The Lost Boys Star Corey Haim Died From Apparent Overdose
  5. Jay Reatard died in his Sleep at Age 29

Live Results Search

Categories

Important Information

This site is for informational purposes only.  Always check with your doctor or  legal council before making any medical or legal decisions.

loader-image
San Francisco, US
5:23 pm, May 21, 2025
temperature icon 62°F
few clouds
Humidity 71 %
Pressure 1013 mb
Wind 20 mph
Wind Gust: 28 mph
Visibility: 10 km
Sunrise: 5:55 am
Sunset: 8:17 pm
Weather from OpenWeatherMap

 

©2025 Digital News Report | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme