3,500-year-old mummy identified as Hatshepsut

In what is one of the most important finds in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings since the discovery of King Tutankhamun, Discovery Channel’s Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen exclusively reveals archeological, forensic and scientific evidence identifying a 3,500-year-old mummy as Hatshepsut, the queen who would be king of Egypt.

Premiering Sunday July 15 at 9:00 pm Sin/HK, Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen follows a team of top forensic experts and archeologists, led by Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s secretary general of the Supreme Counci  of Antiquities, as they use the full range of forensic technology to identify Hatshepsut. The programme encores July 16 at midnight, 8:00 am, and 2:00 pm; July 21 at 2:00 pm; July 22 at 8:00 am; and July 25 at 10:00 pm.

The investigative journey of Dr. Hawass and his team leads them through the massive crypts beneath Egypt and into the depths of the Cairo Museum. Using knowledge of royal Egyptian mummification and clues from two known tombs linked to Hatshepsut, the team narrows their search for Hatshepsut to just four mummies from thousands of unidentified corpses.

Computed tomography scanning allows the scientists to link distinct physical traits of the four mummies to those of Hatshepsut’s known relatives. The search further narrows to two possibilities - both from the tomb of Hatshepsut’s wet nurse - but the final clue lies within a canopic box inscribed with the female pharaoh’s name. A scan of the box finds a tooth that, when measured, perfectly matches a missing upper molar in one of the two mummies.

“The discovery of the Hatshepsut mummy is one of the most important finds in the history of Egypt,” said Dr. Hawass. “Her reign during the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt was a prosperous one, yet mysteriously she was erased from Egyptian history. Our hope is that this mummy will help shed light on this mystery and on the mysterious nature of her death.”

“Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen brings archeology alive for viewers” said Jane Root, president and general manager, Discovery Channel and The Science Channel. “We are proud to be part of this significant find, and commend Dr. Hawass and his team for their hard work and dedication.”

Applied Biosystems, the leading global provider of DNA analysis technologies, and Discovery Quest, Discovery Channel’s initiative to support the scientific community’s work, enabled the construction of and equipment for the ancient DNA testing facility located in the Cairo Museum in Egypt. The DNA testing facility will not only be used to extract and compare nuclear and mitochondrial DNA of the Hatshepsut mummy and mummies from her family, but will be used by scientists to examine future finds in Egypt and attempt to clarify familial relationships amongst the royal families.

“Through Discovery Quest, Discovery Channel is at the forefront of the most significant scientific discoveries of our time,” said Steve Burns, executive vice president, Discovery Quest and chief science editor. “The Discovery Quest program strives to not only make these discoveries accessible for viewers, but also to make what we hope is a positive, lasting impression on scientific research by providing valuable resources for equipment and research expeditions.”

Equipment from Siemens Medical Solutions allowed scientists to conduct detailed computed tomography scanning of each of the mummies. By using their technology in a project like Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen, archeologists were able to go beneath the wrappings and fragile bodies of some of Egypt’s greatest pharaoh’s without damaging them.

More powerful than Cleopatra or Nefertiti, Hatshepsut stole the throne from her young stepson, dressed herself as a man and in an unprecedented move declared herself pharaoh. Though her power stretched across Egypt and her reign was prosperous, Hatshepsut’s legacy was systematically erased from Egyptian history - historical records were destroyed, monuments torn down and her corpse removed from her tomb - and her death is shrouded in mystery.

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