Neferititi is, therefore, a likely candidate for the hidden chamber - particularly as she died before Tutankhamun. Has she finally been found? A leading Egyptian archaeologist has revealed that the tomb of Queen Nefertiti – Tutankhamun's step-mother – could be found within days. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Two secret doorways may exist coming from the walls of the main chamber. Understanding the concepts and designs of their burial customs provides an insight into their culture and habits. Sep 24, 2015 - Dr Nicholas Reeves, an English archaeologist at the University of Arizona, says he made the discovery after analysing high-resolution radar scans of the walls of Tutankhamun's grave. Egyptologists have been unable to locate the tomb of Nefertiti during years of research after the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. The Queen’s tomb has never been discovered but Dr Hawass suggested in 2019 Nefertiti’s body may have already been found. As Nefertiti's tomb was never completed and was found in the valley of the kings, the location of Nefertiti's body has long been a subject of curiosity and speculation. It could also be the final resting place of a major court official whose tomb was "borrowed" for Tutankhamun’s impromptu death. Read more. If so, then Tut’s tomb was never originally his. Overall the tomb is one of my favorite places I visited in Egypt. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Has Nefertiti’s tomb finally been found? She was known as the Ruler of the Nile and Daughter of Gods and her life and mysterious … However, archaeologists have not yet determined whether the cavity is indeed a new burial chamber or part of another tomb. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome, In a "laboratory" set up in the tomb of Sethos II, conservators Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas clean one of the sentinel statues from the antechamber, January 1924. Recently, scientists using ground-penetrating radar studied the tomb of Tutankhamun. Queen Nefertiti: Has the tomb of Tutankhamun's mother been found A diagram of Nefertiti's possible resting place. This means that they were intentionally created and carefully concealed, with access plastered over and then decorated to hide it from view. Tutankhamun was the eleventh king of the 18th dynasty (16th – 13th century BCE), who reigned for nine years and died when he was approximately 18 years old. Egyptian archaeologists announced recently they may have found the burial place of Queen Nefertiti in a hidden chamber close to the pharaoh’s burial complex in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. Queen Nefertiti’s Tomb: Nicholas Reeves’s Theory. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb - in colour. These scans indeed indicate that there are openings behind the West and North walls of the burial chamber. Using ground-penetrating radar (radiating electromagnetic pulses into a surface then analysing the type of response), a team composed of the Egyptian minister and various specialists performed a scan of the walls of the burial chamber and treasury of the tomb of Tutankhamun. Akhenaten and Nefertiti at the Great State Window of their palace. We will need to adapt the data slightly to understand the common people - but the archaeological evidences hidden here will build on our understanding and knowledge of a whole civilisation which started more than 5,000 years ago. August 12, 2015 10:43 am. Two secret doorways may exist coming from the walls of the main chamber. The search for Nefertiti’s tomb goes back several years, and it has always proved to be elusive. order back issues and use the historic Daily Express Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. But he says … See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, For years, there has been a controversial theory about the famous 3,300-year-old tomb of King Tutankhamun: Queen Nefertiti’s remains are contained just beyond its walls. Pompeii: New discovery proves eruption date wrong, Ancient Egypt: Archaeologists may have found the burial chamber of Queen Nefertiti, Ancient Egypt: The most incredible archaeological sites of interest, End of the world claim: Jerusalem third temple fulfils Bible prophecy. Renowned Archeologist, Nicholas Reeves, thinks it might be Queen Nefertiti's tomb. Washington DC, District of Columbia 38 contributions 23 helpful votes. Evidently, the individuals like Tutankhamun buried in the Valley of the Kings were mostly of royal birth or closely related to it. While some archaeologists are skeptical of whether the hidden tomb houses the body of famous Nefertiti, many agree that if the second room was the tomb of another family member predating Tut, it would explain the mysteries surrounding the structure of King Tut’s tomb. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome, Carter, Callender and two Egyptian workers carefully dismantle one of the golden shrines within the burial chamber, December 1923. It is possible the mummy of Akhenaten himself may be among those for which the lack of contextualised information renders identification complex. Clearly there is something on the other side of the north wall of the burial chamber. Is the UK prepared for an incoming asteroid impact? In his paper, Reeves suggests this might be because it was originally designed for Tut's stepmother, Nefertiti, whose tomb has never been found. University of York archaeologist Joann Fletcher studied three mummies that had been found … ... Another theory is that Nefertiti's mummy was already found, the so-called Younger Lady who was recently identified as Tutankhamun's mother through genetic testing. In February 2020, a study published in the journal Nature detailed a promising ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey around King Tutankhamun’s tomb. Dr Reeves suggests that it was built as an extension to another tomb perhaps belonging to Queen Nefertiti. Reeves has proposed that Tutankhamun’s unfinished tomb was not built for the boy king, who died unexpectedly in 1332 BC. He died with no heirs, which allowed two army generals to access the throne, Ay followed by Horemheb. Love letters at Nefertari Tomb. Queen Nefertiti: If the tomb of Tutankhamun's mother has been found, what other ancient mysteries are there to discover? Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome, Arthur Mace and Alfred Lucas work on a golden chariot from Tutankhamun's tomb outside the "laboratory" in the tomb of Sethos II, December 1923. Upgrading from these finds, it could be that these rooms contain more of Tutankhamun’s funerary goods. The final resting place of Nefertiti, who served as queen alongside Pharaoh Akhenaten over 3,000 years ago, is one of Egypt’s greatest mysteries. Is it the queen? Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome, A ceremonial bed in the shape of the Celestial Cow, surrounded by provisions and other objects in the antechamber of the tomb, December 1922. DON’T MISSIs the UK prepared for an incoming asteroid impact? The Nefertiti bust is pictured during a press preview of the exhibition 'In The Light Of Amarna' to mark the 100 years of the Nefertiti bust discovery at the Neues Museum (New Museum) in Berlin, on December 5, 2012, Carter and a worker examine the solid gold innermost sarcophagus, October 1925. In Egypt, thanks to the dry climate, human and organic remains are extremely well preserved. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome, Carter, Callende, and two workers remove the partition wall between the antechamber and the burial chamber, 2nd December 1923. The Big Question: The discovery of a secret tomb behind Tutankhamun's is being hailed as unique by archaeologists around the world. 2 Helpful votes. An American archaeologist believes he may have found the long-lost tomb of Egypt’s Queen Nefertiti. This article is more than 5 years old . Who is the mysterious Queen who might be hiding in Tutankhamun's tomb? The Queen’s tomb has never been discovered but Dr Hawass suggested in 2019 Nefertiti’s body may have already been found. Reeves’s astonishing hypothesis was that Queen Nefertiti’s tomb—long sought after but never found—is hidden within King Tutankhamun’s tomb, concealed for more than 3,000 years in a secret room behind a wall of Tutankhamun’s burial chamber. On the left are the royal princesses and a plan of the palace (Tomb of Pernefer). Reeves believes that one tomb is another storage room, but the other is the tomb of Tut’s stepmother, Nefertiti. Image courtesy of Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, colourised by Dynamichrome, Tutankhamun's burial mask, November 1925. The Younger Lady. There is also some scepticism from Egyptian officials, such as former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass. Have we finally found the secret lost tomb of Egypt's Queen Nefertiti? Egyptologist Ryan Johnson from the University of Chicago, who was not involved in the discovery, told Nature the data is “tremendously exciting”. The funerary material that was uncovered was unprecedented for any king in our records. The famous golden head mask exposed in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo is one of the most impressive pieces of its funerary goods, but the wooden panels and statues are just as unique in their designs. King Tutankhamun’s reign may have been short-lived but the Pharaoh’s discovery in 1922 has captured the world’s imagination. The nation has been in turmoil since the Arab Spring protests of 2011. The first tomb I entered in the valley of the Kings was Tutankhamun’s, and like every one, I found it is not a tomb fitting for a boy King who was obviously beloved. DNA evidence suggests that Nefertiti’s mummy may already have been discovered—among several mummies found in 1898—and may now be reposing in Cairo’s Egyptian Museum—but this has not been confirmed. Secret chamber found inside King Tut's famous tomb may solve hunt for Nefertiti . Tomb of Nefertiti, Egypt's mysterious ancient queen, may have been found. A hidden cell was discovered in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, which may be the resting place of his mother, Queen Nefertiti. Egypt bombshell: Tutankhamun tomb scan anomaly sparks hopes for HUGE discovery EGYPT archaeologist Dr Chris Naunton has told Express.co.uk that there is … This could be an extraordinary discovery: not only the fact that there may well be precious objects, unseen creations and lengthy texts, but mostly because this is an unique opportunity to understand the way Egyptians managed their death. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Tomb remains a mystery in full here like Nefertiti, her followers, and it has always to. 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