ABSTRACT
This photograph of the mummified head of one of the most famous of all the Egyptian Pharaohs, King Tutankhamun was taken by the dentist Mr F Filce Leek. He accompanied members of a team, including some from the Isotope Production Unit at Harwell, to study Tutankhamun for a BBC program. The illustration has only previously appeared in a 1969 issue of the Ilford Ltd journal X-Ray Focus, on the topic of technique of dental radiography of mummified heads. This involved the use of the radioactive isotope iodine-125 and a 2 hour exposure. However, although Leek has examined over 3000 mummified heads and radiographed several, King Tutankhamun never yielded up his dental secrets. The Egyptian authorities were concerned that the layer of resin beneath the King’s chin would be damaged if pierced for the isotope insertion and Leek was forced to use a different angle, one which did not give an informative dental view.
