Face of Egyptian pharaoh King Tutankhamun newly reconstructed

The scientists who conducted the reconstruction and study published the results in the Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology. (File/AFP)
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Updated 01 June 2023
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Face of Egyptian pharaoh King Tutankhamun newly reconstructed

  • ‘More like a young student than politician,’ says study co-author
  • ‘Amazingly close’ to one done by a French team a few years ago

LONDON: The face of Egyptian pharaoh King Tutankhamun has been newly reconstructed, The Independent reported on Thursday.

The scientists who conducted the reconstruction and study published the results in the Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology.

“Looking at him, we see more of a young student than a politician full of responsibilities, which makes the historical figure even more interesting,” co-author Cicero Moraes told MailOnline, as reported by The Independent.

“Faced with the studies we have developed with data from living people, comparing projections with actual measurements, we are confident that there is good compatibility with the real face,” Moraes added.

Egyptologist and archaeologist Michael Habicht of Australia’s Flinders University said the new reconstruction was “amazingly close” to one done by a French team a few years ago.

“It also corresponds with the ancient depictions of Tutankhamun, especially with the head on the lotus flower from his tomb treasure,” Habicht told The Independent.

Various facial reconstructions have been attempted throughout the years, with the first in 1983 by forensic artist Betty Pat Gatliff, who built a mould using a plaster skull constructed from radiographs.

During his lifetime, Tutankhamun was worshiped as a deity, ascending to the throne at the age of nine. He died when he was just 19 and is renowned for the abundance of wealth discovered inside his tomb.

To date, his tomb is the only one that has been discovered totally intact, and its discovery is regarded as one of the most significant archaeological finds in history.

New evidence in 2022 suggested that the archaeologist who discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb stole treasure from it.


Egypt’s grand museum begins live restoration of King Khufu’s ancient boat

Visitors view the first solar boat of King Khufu, at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP)
Updated 23 December 2025
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Egypt’s grand museum begins live restoration of King Khufu’s ancient boat

  • The 4,600-year-old boat was built during the reign of King Khufu, the pharaoh who also commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza

CAIRO: Egypt began a public live restoration of King Khufu’s ancient solar boat at the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum on Tuesday, more than 4,000 years after the vessel was first built.
Egyptian conservators used a small crane to carefully lift a fragile, decayed plank into the Solar Boats Museum hall — the first of 1,650 wooden pieces that make up the ceremonial boat of the Old Kingdom pharaoh.
The 4,600-year-old boat was built during the reign of King Khufu, the pharaoh who also commissioned the Great Pyramid of Giza. The vessel was discovered in 1954 in a sealed pit near the pyramids, but its excavation did not begin until 2011 due to the fragile condition of the wood.
“You are witnessing today one of the most important restoration projects in the 21st century,” Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy said.
“It is important for the museum, and it is important for humanity and the history and the heritage.”
The restoration will take place in full view of visitors to the Grand Egyptian Museum over the coming four years.