Mummy-fried! The mummified body of Tutankhamun - the 18th dynasty Egyptian pharaoh - may have burst into flames inside his coffin after a mishandled attempt to embalm him, a new documentary has revealed.
A fragment of flesh from the young pharaoh was tested by researchers who confirmed his body was burnt while it was sealed in his sarcophagus.
Investigators believe a chemical reaction caused by embalming oils used on Tutankhamun's mummy ignited the blaze, the 'Telegraph' reported.
Scientists from the Cranfield Forensic Institute, in Bedfordshire, carried out a virtual autopsy of the body using X-ray and CAT scanning technology.
They concluded that King Tut's body spontaneously combusted due to a badly conducted mummification.
The research findings may also revive the possibility that the young ruler died in battle.
The discovery of King Tut's nearly intact tomb in 1922 caused a worldwide sensation and led to widespread and continuing public fascination with ancient Egypt and its treasures.
UK archaeologist Lord Carnarvon was found dead after opening up the tomb along with more than 20 people linked to the opening of the pharaoh's burial chamber.
This led to intense speculation that he had been hit by an ancient and terrible curse.
With this study, the myth of the "curse of the pharaohs" has now finally been busted.
