King Tut's Chariot Heads to NY

Structure built on top of Cleopatra-era temple

(AP) - Egyptian officials say archaeologists have unearthed the first basilica erected in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. Antiquities authorities say the basilica is dated to the Roman era and was built on the ruins of a temple from the Ptolemaic reign—a period that ended with the death of Cleopatra. Two parallel rows of granite and limestone pillars suggest the basilica was a social site that was also used for trade and judicial matters, today's statement said. More»

Artifacts were shipped to New York in 1948

(NEWSER) - The Metropolitan Museum of Art has agreed to return 19 items taken from the tomb of King Tut, the New York Post reports. The boy king's homeland of Egypt will get back a miniature bronze dog, a bracelet in the likeness of the sphinx, and various other figurines and bits of jewelry. All were sent to New York in 1948. More»

Likeness of Amenhotep III stands more than four feet tall

(NEWSER) - The King Tut news just keeps coming: There was the mystery of his death (solved!), the curse of his grave , and who can forget: the case of his missing penis . Now, Egyptologists are excited to report they've found a limestone statue of the Boy King's grandfather. The sculpture of Amenhotep III stands about four feet tall and three feet wide and depicts the pharaoh seated on a throne wearing the double crown of Egypt, notes CNN . "The statue is one of the best new finds in the area because of its expert craftsmanship," said an expert. More»

Better nose, fewer wrinkles

(NEWSER) - It turns out the lovely Nefertiti wasn't quite the sylph-like sphynx we all imagine her to be. The sun-worshiping Egyptian queen appears to be the beneficiary of what amounts to ancient Photoshopping, notes the Independent . A 3,000-year-old bust of Nefertiti in a Berlin museum that the world knows as her face was altered to make her appear more beautiful, researchers have discovered. Scans of the bust of the queen, who died in 1330 BC, show an earlier "pre-facelift" image within the sculpture. "That statue is still very beautiful, but not as beautiful," explained the lead researcher. More»

(USER SUBMITTED) - It seems that King Tut and his penis have parted ways despite spending several thousand years joined at the, er, hip. When he was discovered in 1922 the king was fully intact, Time reports. Sometime in the last almost 90 years, his kingly member was removed, some hypothesize, to maintain his reputation as a big man on campus. More»