It looks like two modern detectives managed to unravel the mystery of the untimely death of the young Egyptian king Tutankhamun barely eighteen years old when he died. According to detectives, they found not only evidence that Tutankhamun was killed, but found the murderer.

The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, caused a real sensation. Among the few tombs that have survived thousands of years later in a more or less intact, this struck his wealth: it was filled with gold, ivory and different decorations, including the famous burial mask. However, how was buried the king, there was something strange, perhaps saying that there are not all clean. Most suspicions scientists was the tomb of the young men. Its small size, unfinished finish - all talked about the fact that young ruler died. It was not ruled out that his death could have not natural, and violent.

The gold mask of Tutankhamun

More than 3300 years after the death of Tutankhamun at the request of the British film producer Anthony Geffena for investigating ancient mysteries took two modern detective: a former FBI investigator Greg Cooper and Mike king, Director of the Department of criminal police of the city of Ogden, Utah. At the disposal of the detectives was provided extensive material evidence and evidence - scientific works, photographs of the tomb of Tutankhamun, x-ray examination of the mummy and expert opinions. Based on this material, detectives tried to unravel the mystery of the death of Pharaoh, using the methods of modern criminology. And they, surprisingly, turned out to be very effective.

Known to Egyptologists, however, called the findings of the investigators complete nonsense. In their opinion, work Cooper and king concocted from the old theories, warmed in a new forensic pan. Some scientists say that this field was a hundred times already plowed, and it did not find any indisputable evidence.

People like to speculate, says German Egyptologist Marianne ICOS-Krauss. But no direct evidence of the murder of Tutankhamen not.

Who is right - is unknown, but when 80 years ago, the British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, it became clear that this tomb is not like any other. For the king's chamber, she looked to be made very quickly. That was originally designed not for royalties, spoke not only of its modest size, but sloppy finishing: wall painting remained ink stains that no one bothered to erase. Some utensils, so impressed the world with its refinement, actually, probably, were taken to the burial of the warehouse, as with careful study they found traces of the inscriptions of the names of other people.

These names were erased, and in their place put right inscription - Tutankhamen. After embalming on the mummy poured the whole bucket of balm that only worsened her condition. Whether it was part of the ritual, or just an attempt to cover up traces of the crime? To answer this question, in 1925, Carter spent anatomical study of the corpse, which was done crude methods and looked rather like a butchering carcasses. Balm glued bandages, obmanyvaj the mummy, so when pulling out of the sarcophagus body was damaged. After examining the body, the first anatomist found nothing suspicious. However, more than forty years later, in 1968, one scientist from the University of Liverpool has received permission to x-ray examination of the mummy and found out some intriguing things: narrow chip dice in the brain cavity and some seal at the base of the skull, which might be a blood clot. This piece could be formed as a result of severe may notoriously deadly punch. To find out all to end, Cooper and king took the original x-rays and showed their experts-doctors, radiographers and neurologists. Experts immediately found a new interesting facts. For example, thinning of the right temporal bone of Tutankhamun, covered with small cracks that may have appeared at the moment of impact with a heavy object. In addition, Tutankhamun suffered from so-called syndrome of Klippel-Fala: he had fused vertebrae. People with such disorders can't turn your head without turning the entire body. Similar to the disease it is impossible to hide, and he makes people extremely vulnerable in the time of the fall or shock.

To take an obvious vulnerability of Tutankhamun, the offender ancient and the modern, should have the means, opportunity, and motive.

Based on these criteria, the detectives began to seek criminal across the Egyptian Empire, but then was limited to seeking people who are close to the Pharaoh. In the end, the suspect was four: Treasurer Maya, commander Horemkheb, Prime Minister of AI and the wife of Pharaoh named Anhesenpaaton.

Of the four suspects the first was crossed out of the Maya. While on duty he may often had to meet with Tutankhamun, which gave him the means and the opportunity to commit the crime, but he had no motive. One of the gifts in the tomb of Tutankhamen is inscribed the name of the Maya, and it may mean that he genuinely mourned the death of the young man. Besides, Maya is not extracted from the assassination of Tsar any benefits, since hardly could get a boost in the next government. He, on the contrary, risked a demotion.

Horemkheb was a nut stronger. Cooper and king suggested that the captain was with Pharaoh lot of time teaching his hunting and management chariot, and during class, it was not too difficult to adjust to a fatal accident. And if Tutankhamun died on the road, the body began to decompose before Horemkheb brought him home, which may explain the excess of balm, casted on the mummy. The motive of regicide for Horemheb could serve as the desire to take the throne that was not too difficult to implement, having subordinated the army. However, after the death of Tutankhamun captain remained on the same positions.

- If Horemkheb wanted to ascend to the throne of Pharaoh, he would have done it, " says Cooper. At Anhesenpaaton there was no apparent motive for the murder. The wife of the Pharaoh had no right to inherit the throne after the death of her husband, so the thirst of power could not be her motive for the killings. It is more likely that she thought about his heirs. In the tomb of Tutankhamen were found two mummified human embryo. It is believed that it is premature daughter of the Imperial couple. If Tutankhamun was not able to become the father of a healthy child, Anhesenpaaton probably wanted to get rid of him to marry someone else.

But Cooper and king are convinced that Anhesenpaaton and Tutankhamen were happy together. They were the summary brother and sister and knew each other from childhood. On painting in the tomb of Tutankhamun they are a loving couple, and, according to king, the very fact of mummification of unborn children (back) shows their strong family ties.

Remains AI. The head of government, who held this office during the father of Tutankhamun, the de facto was the king until cared little Pharaoh and enjoyed his full trust (Tutankhamen was Pharaoh, when he was only nine years old.) AI itself could crave the throne and actually took over after the death of Tutankhamun. The wall paintings in the tomb depict the AI of a ritual "Opening the gates" at the funeral of Pharaoh - the ceremony, which was supposed to be the successor to the throne.

Further evidence against the AI can probably provide the widow of king Tutankhamun. One ancient document says that some Egyptian Queen sent a letter to the Hittite king (modern Turkey), begging him to send one of his sons to the South, so that he married her. In his letter to the Queen of fears that it would otherwise forced to marry one of her servants." Anhesenpaaton, the former Queen, no doubt, looked at the AI as a servant. Some researchers believe that the ring with the names of Anhesenpaaton and AI confirm the version of their marriage, which was legalized by AI as Pharaoh.

But other scientists are not convinced by this theory. For example, references to the wall paintings in the tomb of them seem naive.

- Tomb paintings have always been happy, " said Rita freed from the Boston Museum of fine arts. Because this idealized image.

In addition, it has not been proven that it is Anhesenpaaton wrote a letter to the king of the Hittites. Some scientists believe that the author of the letter was a widow not Tutankhamun, and his father. Similarly, the ring with the names of AI and Anhesenpaaton can signify nothing, because in Ancient Egypt did not exist engagement rings. The ring can simply point to a political Union.

But no matter how compelling or bogus evidence against the AI, they will not put an end to speculation and conjecture. In the XXI century will certainly new technologies and research methods, with which, for example, you can identify diseases that have plagued Pharaoh, or to get more detailed x-ray images. Probably, they will help to shed light on the death of Tutankhamun and the king and Cooper will be able to continue their investigation.

A crime is a crime, " says Cooper. And no matter when it was committed, " today or three and a half thousand years ago.

After all, the murder of the Statute of limitations does not apply.