Pharaoh Mummy First to be Analyzed by New Egyptian DNA Lab
A long-overlooked mummy of an obese woman was identified last week as the most powerful ancient Egyptian female pharaoh, Hatshepsut. Scientists used dental analysis and DNA testing to determine her identity. Hatshepsut ruled in the 15th century BCE, but when she died, her mummified remains were not marked like other pharaohs. In fact, her mummy was ignored until recently because it was found lying on the ground next to the sarcophagus mummy of her wet nurse in the Valley of Kings.
This discovery coincides with the establishment of a DNA testing laboratory funded by Discovery Channel. A year ago, Discovery Channel paid $5 million for Egypt to set up its first DNA lab dedicated to testing mummies. It is hoped that DNA analysis will uncover biological relationships among the royal Egyptian mummies and establish reference samples for future DNA samples from mummies.
The Discovery Channel DNA testing lab is equipped with state-of-the-art genetic analyzers and robotics from Applied Biosystems (ABI). Much of this equipment is the same cutting edge equipment that Beta Genetics uses. In Beta’s laboratory, we use ABI PRISM genetic analyzers that measure the size of DNA markers produced after amplification. The marker sizes are used for comparison to identify biological relationships.
To learn more about the search for and identification of Hatshepsut, visit Secrets of Egypt’s Lost Queen on the DiscoveryChannel.com. You can also learn more about the technology and analysis behind the DNA tests by visiting the Beta Genetics laboratory now.
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on Monday, July 2nd, 2007 at 6:11 pm and is filed under Home Paternity Tests.
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