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  3. Archaeologists using DNA testing said they have identified a mummy discovered more than a century ago as Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt

Archaeologists using DNA testing said they have identified a mummy discovered more than a century ago as Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt

admin2016-12-06  37
问题     Archaeologists using DNA testing said they have identified a mummy discovered more than a century ago as Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s most powerful female pharaoh.
    The discovery has not been independently reviewed by other experts.
    The mummy was discovered in 1903 in the Valley of the Kings, but it was left in place until two months ago. Archaeologists then took the mummy to the Cairo Museum for testing, said Egypt’s antiquities chief Zahi Hawass.
    Hawass has been searching for the queen for about a year, setting up a DNA lab in the basement of the Cairo Museum. The study was funded by The Discovery Channel, which is set to air an exclusive documentary on the find in July.
    Hawass said the key clue was a molar. It was found in a jar bearing the queen’s emblem and containing some of her well-preserved organs. The tooth fit a gap in the mummy’s jaw. Hawass’ team is still conducting DNA testing that they hope could help confirm the find.
    "We are 100 percent certain" that the mummy is that of Hatshepsut, Hawass told The Associated Press.
    Hatshepsut ruled Egypt in the 15th century B.C. and was known for dressing like a man and wearing a false beard. When her reign ended, all traces of her disappeared. Her 22-year rule ended in 1453 B.C. and was the longest among ancient Egyptian queens.
    The mummy identified as Hatshepsut died in her 50s, Hawass said. He said she was obese and probably had diabetes and liver cancer. When the mummy was discovered, the left hand was positioned against her chest, which is a traditional sign of royalty in ancient Egypt.
    But other Egyptologists are not as certain that the mummy is Hatshepsut.
    Molecular biologist Scott Woodward, director of the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation in Salt Lake City, was cautious about the announcement.
    "It’s a very difficult process to obtain DNA from a mummy," Woodward said. "To make a claim as to a relationship, you need other individuals from which you have obtained DNA, to make a comparison between the DNA sequences."
    Such DNA material would typically come from parents or grandparents. With female mummies, the most common type of DNA to look for is the mitochondrial DNA that reveals maternal lineage, Woodward said.
    Molecular geneticist Yehia Zakaria Gad, who is part of Hawass’ team, said DNA samples were taken from the mummy’s pelvis and femur, so that more genetic tests can be run that compare the mummy to the queen’s grandmother, Amos Nefreteri, who was previously identified. Gad said preliminary results are "very encouraging."
    Molecular biologist Paul Evans of the Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, said the discovery would be remarkable if the mummy is indeed Hatshepsut.
    "Hatshepsut is an individual who has a unique place in Egypt’s history. To have her identified is on the same magnitude as King Tut’s discovery," Evans said.
    Hatshepsut is believed to have stolen the throne from her young stepson, Thutmose III.
    Hatshepsut’s funerary temple is located in ancient Thebes on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, a multi-column sandstone temple built to serve as tribute to her power.
    But after her death, her name was erased from the records in what is believed to have been her stepson’s revenge.
    She was one of the most prolific builder pharaohs of ancient Egypt, commissioning hundreds of projects throughout both Upper and Lower Egypt. Almost every major museum in the world today has a collection of Hatshepsut statues.
Other Egyptologists would most likely to agree that ______.
选项 A、the mummy was a member of royal family
B、Hatshepsut possibly died of fatal diseases
C、DNA testing is unreliable
D、Hatshepsut’s relations are nowhere to find
答案A
解析 第8段最后一句中木乃伊的左手放在胸前，这表示死者生前是皇室成员，因此，无论最终是否能证明这具木乃伊是否Hatshepsut，现在起码能知道她为皇室成员，因此A正确。第8段第2句提到那具木乃伊很可能患有糖尿病和肝癌，这与B中的fatal diseases同义，但其他的埃及学家并不能确定这具木乃伊是不是Hatshepsut，所以，即使那具木乃伊真的死于重病，也不等于Hapshepsut死于重病，排除B；第9段的not certain和第10段的cautious都表明埃及学家对于Hawass的研究结果抱怀疑的态度，但这并不等于DNA测试完全不可靠，C说得太绝对：D与倒数第7段的内容相反。
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