THE YOUNG TUT.

Pictures taken from BBC online.

Seeing several black body pictures of the mummified egyptian Pharaoh Nebkheperure Tutankhamun -subjected to public display- 3 things emerge in the minds of many observers: I) The extraordinary body preservation of this young man deceased to 19 years (who reigned 9 years in Egypt: from 1333 to 1324 bC), to the point that without adjustments by virtual means, anyone (seeing his pictures), can accurately reconstruct his physical characteristics: more black traits than white (big and thick lips, large frontal teeth, prognatism, exaggerated dolicocephaly), mediated by the extensive dehydration to which was subjected his body, inmersing it in natural salt mixtures (natrón, abundant along the banks of the river Nile), containing sodium carbonate (disposer of body water), bicarbonate (increasing the pH, the body eliminates germs) and others. Cleaning to which helped the Egyptian climate (similar to Nasca/Paracas/Peru): very dry and hot. The mummification was promoted by religions which required a well preserved human body, for a good life in the afterlife. The drying of the external part of the body, was followed by extraction (using special hooks), of the brain, through the ethmoid nasal bone. Then with obsidian blades was opened the abdomen and extracted the internal viscera. Then the inner body parts were put in contact with : odor resins, myrrh, cedar oil, lotus, palm wine and perhaps bitumen (coal). Finally in the inner body were put several waterproof containers containing natron, for about 35 days, in order to completely eliminate germs. Finally, the corpse was covered with hundreds of meters of white linen bandages, stuck each other with natural resins. II) It is amazing also the quality of his gold mask, very similar to his natural facies, which speaks of a highly developed metallurgy, as they had to dominate thin laminated events and other related processes. III) Finally, the development of medical techniques (imagenology: CT, Rx, histology, biochemistry, etc.), required to make accurate diagnoses, without opening the sarcophagi, has improved also, many existing forensic techniques. As a result, we now know that the young Tut died for a gangrene in her right leg, behind a broken, and not by a blow to his skull as until recently was posited.

EL JOVEN REY TUTANKAMON

Contemplando fotografias corporales momificadas del faraón egipcio Nebkheperure Tutankamon, sometidas a exhibición pública, 3 cosas emergen de la mente de muchos observadores : I) La extraordinaria preservación corporal de este joven fallecido a los 19 años (reinó 9 años en Egipto : 1333-1324 aC), al punto que sin adecuaciones virtuales de por medio, cualquiera (viendo sus fotos), reconstruye con precisión sus caracteristicas físicas : mas rasgos de negro que de blanco (labios gruesos, dientes grandes, leve prognatismo, exagerada dolicocefalia), mediadas por la extensa deshidratación a que fué sometido su cuerpo, embebebiéndolo en mezclas de sal natural (natrón, abundante a lo largo de las riberas del rio Nilo), conteniendo carbonato de sodio (eliminador de agua corporal), bicarbonato (al incrementar el pH corporal, elimina bacterias) y otros. Asepsia a la que ayudó el clima egipcio (semejante al de Nasca/Paracas/Perú) : muy seco y caliente. Momificación promovida por religiones que exigian la integridad corporal humana, para un buen llevar en la otra vida. La desecación corporal externa, era seguida de la extracción (mediante ganchos especiales), del cerebro, a través del etmoides. Luego con hojas de obsidiana, se abria el abdomen, se extraian las visceras y se esparcia en la parte interna corporal : resinas olorosas, mirra, aceite de cedro, lotus, palma de vino y tal vez betun (carbón). Finalmente se colocaban recipientes impermeables conteniendo natron, en las cavidades internas corporales, por espacio de 35 dias, a fin de eliminar totalmente los gérmenes. Finalmente el cadáver era cubierto con cientos de metros de vendas blancas, adheridas entre si, mediante resinas naturales.

II) Impacta tambien la calidad de su máscara de oro, extraordinaria reproducción muy semejante a su facies natural, lo que habla de una metalurgia muy desarrollada, en tanto tenian que dominar el laminado fino, el repujado, etc. III) Finalmente, el desarrollo de técnicas médicas (imagenologia: CT, Rx, histologia, bioquímica,etc), exigida para realizar diagnósticos precisos, sin necesidad de abrir los sarcófagos, mejorando asimismo, muchas técnicas forenses actuales. Gracias a ello, sabemos hoy que el joven Tut, falleció por una gangrena en su pierna derecha, trás una fractura, y no por un golpe en el cráneo como hasta hace poco se postulaba.