Tuesday 19 October 2010

The truth behind Tutankhamen's peas

The myth: Dried peas discovered in Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922 were found to be viable; the variety called Tutankhamen’s Pea, available today, is descended from those ancient seeds.

The “truth”: Sources point out that the conditions in tombs, which have ensured the survival of many artefacts, are in fact too dry for good seed storage. Other than uncorrob­orated tradition, there seems to be no evidence that any seeds found in ancient Egyptian tombs have ever been successfully germ.

Read more: Fortean Times

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