Mystery surrounding Tutankhamun's death 'solved' as DNA tests 'uncover his cause of death' over 3,300 years ago

The pharaoh died at just 18 - but his cause of death has remained a mystery for over 3,000 years.

Now, new genetic research has given a fresh insight into what may have brought his reign to an end.

Scientists from the National Research Centre in Egypt and Cairo University have worked with two German DNA experts to examine tissue samples from a number of royal mummies.

Among them was Tutankhamun, who is believed to have been killed by a combination of malaria and health problems linked to royal inbreeding.

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General manager of the Tutankhamun Exhibition Tim Batty said the results were "another piece of the great jigsaw" that is Tutankhamun's life.

The tests showed that he suffered from necrosis in his left foot. He is likely to have relied on a walking cane, with several having been found in his tomb.

The DNA tests also revealed that his grandparents were linked to Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye.

However, the identity of his parents remains a mystery.

It has been suggested that the mummy found in tomb KV55, which is believed to be Akhenaten, is his father, with Akhenaten's own sister potentially being his mother.

The inbreeding contributed to Tutankhamun's frail health, experts say.

The DNA findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, have resulted in a fresh debate among Egyptologists.

While some believe the pharaoh's parents were siblings or close relatives, others think his mother may have been Nefertiti, Akhenaten's cousin and chief wife.

The results are now on display at the Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester.

"This is something people have been wondering about for over 100 years," said Mr Batty.

"Now we’re starting to get real answers, and that’s incredibly exciting."