Akhenaten wasn't the most manly pharaoh, even though he fathered at least a half-dozen children. In fact, his form was quite feminine. And he was a bit of an egghead. So concludes a Yale University physician who analyzed images of Akhenaten for an annual conference Friday at the University of Maryland School of Medicine on the deaths of historic figures. The female form was due to a genetic mutation that caused the pharaoh's body to convert more male hormones to female hormones than needed, Dr. Irwin Braverman believes. And Akhenaten's head was misshapen because of a condition in which skull bones fuse at an early age.The pharaoh had "anandrogynous appearance.
He had a female physique with wide hips and breasts, but he was male and he was fertile and he had six daughters," Braverman said. "But nevertheless, he looked like he had a female physique." Braverman, who sizes up the health of individuals based on portraits, teaches a class at Yale's medical school that uses paintings from the university's Center for British Art to teach observation skills to first-year students. For his study of Akhenaten, he used statues and carvings.Akhenaten (ah-keh-NAH-ten), best known for introducing a revolutionary form of monotheism to ancient Egypt, reigned in the mid-1300s B.C. He was married to Nefertiti, and Tutankhamun, also known as King Tut, may have been his son or half brother.
Egyptologist
and archaeologist Donald B. Redford said he supportsBraverman's belief
that Akhenaten had Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder marked by
lengthened features, including fingers and the face.
Visiting clinics that treat
those with the condition has strengthened that conviction, "but this is
very subjective, I must admit," said Redford, a professor of classic
and ancient Mediterranean studies at Penn State University.
Others have theorized
Akhenaten and his lineage had Froehlich's Syndrome, which causes
feminine fat distribution but also sterility. That doesn't fit
Akhenaten, who had at least six daughters, Braverman said.
Klinefelter Syndrome, a
genetic condition that can also cause gynecomastia, or male breast
enlargement, has also been suggested, but Braverman said he suspects
familial gynecomastia, a hereditary condition that leads to the
overproduction ofestrogen.
......
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Who was King Tutankhamun's mother ?
Tutankhamen's 'beautiful' face revealed
Giza Pyramids Align Toward City of Sun God
Egyptian temples followed heavenly plans
Cave complex beneath Giza Pyramids ?
4,000-year-old necropolis in Fayoum contains dozens of mummies
Pyramid building secrets unlocked
Painted mummies found in ancient Egypt necropolis
Robot enters secret pyramid chamber
Radiocarbon dating verifies ancient Egypt's history
