King Tutankhamun's death mask could have been made for a woman.

Tutankhamun's death mask was made for a female

Tutankhamun's death mask was made for a female

Boffins at the University of York have proposed the idea that the holes in the ears of the mask imply that it was intended for a female or child of high status - potentially Tutankhamun's stepmother whose body has never been discovered.

The experts think that the pharaoh's sudden death at the age of 18 may have led to the shape of his face being grafted on the top of its true owner.

Egyptologist Professor Joann Fletcher said: "This mask was not made for an adult male pharaoh when the gold was compared, (they found) the face is made of completely different gold to the rest."

The experts also believe that the size of Tutankhamun's burial was far smaller than what was to be expected for a pharaoh of his stature.

Professor Fletcher added: "To deepen the enigma, dark spots are scattered across the walls of King Tut's tomb marks that scores of experts point to as a sign the paint was still wet when the tomb was sealed, hinting at the hurried nature of its completion."