In Egypt, the mummy of a pharaoh reveals his secrets thanks to science

According to a study, published this Wednesday, February 17 in the journal

, Egyptian scientists discovered that a pharaoh had died in action after having X-rayed his mummy, which is more than 3,600 years old.

The monarch in question, Séqénenrê Taa II, known as “the Courageous”, reigned over Egypt nearly 1,600 years before our era, during the XVIIth dynasty (-1625 to -1549).

He notably led the Egyptian troops against the Asian invaders Hyksos, the first foreigners to have conquered the Nile Delta.

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Relying, in particular, on three-dimensional images, the study, conducted by archaeologist Zahi Hawass and professor of radiology at Cairo University Sahar Salim, suggests that the pharaoh was killed by his opponents during 'an

after being taken prisoner on the battlefield, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said in a statement.

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A decades-old mystery

Analysis of weapons - ax, spear and daggers - which belonged to the Hyksos, indicated a

of the mummy.

New bruises, concealed by the work of the embalmers, were also discovered.

Thanks to the careful study of the skeleton of Séqénenrê Taa II, Egyptian scientists estimated that the pharaoh

.

For decades, researchers have tried to determine the circumstances of the death of this king whose mummy - discovered at the end of the 19th century and kept in Cairo - bears visible marks of wounds on his face.

In the 1960s, experts experimented with the use of medical imaging on his remains.

According to different theories, the pharaoh was killed by the king of the Hyksos himself, or else murdered in his sleep by conspirators.

Others suggest that the poor condition the mummy was in at the time of its discovery could indicate that it was hastily embalmed, far from the royal mummification workshop.