TRIVIA !

[AlumniClub]

After studying a comprehensive CT-scan of Tutankhamun's mummy, scientists discounted a century-old idea that the boy king died after being hit on the back of the head.

The 3,300-year-old mummy of Tutankhamun underwent a CT-scan in January; ever since then, Egyptology enthusiasts everywhere have been eagerly awaiting the results. Would the scan help to uncover the secret behind the boy king's early death?

In a small, dimly lit room in the basement of the Egyptian Museum, a group of Egyptologists, radiologists, anatomists, pathologists and forensic experts examined the 1,700 CT-scan images of Tutankhamun's mummy that were taken in Luxor. After weeks of thorough discussions, the group unanimously agreed that the young king, who died at age 19, was not killed after being hit on the back of his head, as was traditionally believed.

There was nothing at the back of the mummy's skull indicating a blow. The two loose bone fragments in the skull, the researchers said, could not possibly have resulted from a pre-death injury, as they would have become stuck in the embalming material. After matching these pieces to the fractured cervical vertebra and foramen magnum, the team concluded they were broken either during the embalming process, or by Howard Carter's team (the archaeologist who first discovered Tutankhamun's tomb in the early 20th century) while trying to remove the famous golden mask glued onto the face.

The team theorised that the open fracture at the back of the mummy's head was most likely used as a second route through which embalming liquid was introduced to the lower cranial cavity and neck, via the back of the upper neck. The two layers of different density solidified material that were found in this area support the claim. The first cervical (topmost) vertebra and the foramen magnum (large opening at the base of the skull) are fractured -- which may have occurred either when the hole was made to pour the embalming liquid, or when Carter's team clumsily removed the head from the mask.

Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Secretary-General Zahi Hawass told Al-Ahram Weekly that he had always "totally believed that this young Pharaoh was killed, as the Amarna era was a stage of chaotic events and a play with missing acts." Hawass said he still thought Tutankhamun did not die of natural causes, and might have been murdered with poison.

The team found no evidence of a blow to the back of the head, or any other indication of foul play, Hawass said. They also found it extremely unlikely that he suffered an accident in which he crushed his chest. He pointed out that some team members interpret a fracture in the left thighbone as evidence of the possibility that Tutankhamun badly broke his leg just a few days before he died.

"However, this injury alone could not have directly caused the king's death," said Italian pathologist Eduard Eqarter Viql. "He was a young man and it was normal that while playing sports or fighting in a battle or anything, he broke his leg."

The team has concluded -- based on the identification of at least five different types of embalming material -- that great care was taken in the mummification of this king. "Tutankhamun's body was perfectly mummified. This counters previous arguments that the body of the king was prepared hurriedly and carelessly," said Zurich University's Frank Rèhli, a Swiss anatomist who was part of the team. Rèhli told the Weekly the CT-scans were beyond his expectations "from [a] technical point of view... the combination between the high- tech device and how to use it perfectly was very well-organised,"

CT scanning is a non-invasive tool used to scan the entire body in a very short time, differentiating between various types of soft tissues and bones using three-dimensional images. Conventional X-rays see only two planes, and cannot clearly distinguish the soft tissues. Tutankhamun's CT-scan was "relatively limited", said Cairoscan Centre Executive Director Ashraf Selim, "because of the deterioration of the mummy, examination of a better preserved mummy could reveal more of the deceased's medical history during his life time."

Selim told the Weekly that "even though the possibility of his having been killed by a blow to the back of the head has now been proven wrong, we are still not sure that Tutankhamun's death was natural. He could have been murdered with poison."

The team leader, Cairo University radiology professor Mervat Shafiq, said the group had ruled out a pathological cause for the bent spine and elongated skull noted in a previous examination of the mummy. Tutankhamun's bones, which indicate a slight build, show that he was nonetheless well fed, healthy and suffered no major childhood malnutrition or infectious diseases.

While the speculation and controversy surrounding the scan for the past two months has been interesting, the actual results announced yesterday are certain to be fodder for an even livelier round of debates.

[Scarberry2003]

A broken thigh bone could have caused his death,, if it severed the femural artery, he could have bleed to death internally.

[Crys]

You're both right, sort of.

CT scans of King Tutankhamun's mummy may put the world's oldest "cold case" to rest, refuting the notion that the ruler's enemies bludgeoned him to death.

Instead, a festering leg wound may have led to the boy-king's early demise at 19, more than 3,300 years ago, researchers say.

http://www.livescience.com/healthday/536297.html

Rather than hemorrhaging, though, it appears to have been an infection of the broken bone, which still happens today sometimes.

You can fight it out over who gets to post the next question

PS: gb2 - can you please post the citation/url for the news story you posted? Thanks!

[AlumniClub]

if i can find it again ill post it

[AlumniClub]

you can post Scar...gives me a break

[AlumniClub]

ok...guess i can post up


I regularly swam nude in the Potomac River. The first American professional journalist knew of my 5:00 a.m. swims. After being refused interviews with me many times, she went to the river, gathered my clothes and sat on them until she had her interview with me....


who am i ????

[AlumniClub]

Crys,

i believe this was it: http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/amet.../Etutkill.html

[pk]

John Quincy Adams.

[AlumniClub]

ding-ding-ding...tell her whats shes won Johnny!

Well bean...pk has just won.......... A NEW CAR!!!!

( insert applause from crowd here )


Well Pk ...no you didnt win a new car but what you do win is............



This beautiful washer dryer combo set from Westinghouse!!!!



( more inserted applause! )



Just kidding....you have next question and seeing as i wont be here now for a week i hope to return to see more members playing...i may get 1 more quick chance on here before i go on my trip....we will have to see.

[pk]

Oh that would be wonderful to win a new dryer! Mine broke some time ago and we need to buy a new one.

Anyways, on with the next question!




In Greek legend, malicious creatures called Kallikantzaroi sometimes play troublesome pranks at Christmas time. What should you do to get rid of them?

[j10asen]

Originally Posted by pk

In Greek legend, malicious creatures called Kallikantzaroi sometimes play troublesome pranks at Christmas time. What should you do to get rid of them?

Some households keep fires burning through the twelve days, to keep the spirits from entering by the chimney, a curious inversion of the visit of Santa Claus in other countries! The "yule log" in this case used to be a massive log set on end in the chimney, burning or at least smouldering for the entire period.Protective herbs such as hyssop, thistle, and asparagus were suspended by the fireplace, to keep the Callicantzari away. Other households, perhaps less devout, were reduced to simple bribery and would put meat out for the Kallikantzari - again, this seems to be a more substantial snack than the milk and cookies put out for Santa. On Epiphany, the ceremonial blessing of the waters by the local priest was believed to settle the nasty creatures until the next year. Some local festivals still include

as found here
http://gogreece.about.com/cs/folklor...echristmas.htm

[pk]

YOU ARE CORRECT!

It was also known that burning an old shoe would help. The pungent burning stench drives off, or at least helps discourage, the Kallikantzaroi. Other techniques include hanging a pig's jawbone by the door and keeping a large fire so they can't sneak down the chimney are also all correct.

Well, we finally have someone different to post a question...have fun!

pk

[keith]

I'll have to remember those techniques.

Regards,
Keith

[j10asen]

Everybody's Talkinn'
By Harry Nilsson a singer /songwriter

was the theme song for the movie Midnight Cowboy but before that song was selected there was another famous singer /songwriter that was originally contracted to write a theme song for the movie.

Name the songwriter and the belated song written for the moie.

There is more to this story as I recall but do you think I can subsattiate this? noooooooooooooooooo

[pk]

An interesting piece of trivia:

Bob Dylans "Lay Lady Lay" was written to be the theme song of the movie (midnight cowboy), but director Schlesinger found "Everybody's Talkin" and felt the words and mood of the music were perfect for his film, and I believe they were. Listen to the words in the context of the film and you will understand.

Midnight Cowboy Midnight Cowboy
He's a Lonesome Midnight Cowboy

Once his hopes were high as the sky
Once his dream was easy to buy
Soon his eager fingers were burned
Soon life's lonely lessons are learned

Hearts are made for caring
Life is made for sharing

Love is all that's left in the end.

This movie finishes with us wondering about love in the end too.