The uncovered area is about 7 feet high and 33 feet long. The findings lent credence to Reeves’s theory that the king’s burial palace contained a larger, hidden tomb … At one point during the Amarna period or just at its end, Egypt may thus have had a female pharaoh! According to the archaeologist, the tomb looks like an Egyptian queen’s tomb more than the burial space for a pharaoh due to its position to the right of the entrance shaft and the smaller size. More than 3,000 years after her death, Nefertiti became a sensation again when German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt discovered a painted limestone bust of her in Amarna in 1912. 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This has led Reeves to believe that there are at least two more rooms in the tomb where Tutankhamun’s burial was found.Knowing that Tutankhamun died at a young age and somewhat unexpectedly, an equally plausible explanation for the possible presence of two hidden doors, would be that the construction of the tomb was ongoing when the king died, and rather than hurry to complete the additional rooms, they were walled up and hidden behind the paintings of what was to become the king’s burial chamber. Newspapers, whether online or in print, have been buzzing the past few days with news about the ‘discovery’ of Nefertiti’s tomb. A discovery implies at least some degree of certainty. Dr Zahi Hawass said he believes that by using “modern DNA techniques” Queen Nefertiti could be identified as one of two mummies discovered in the Valley of the Kings. Even though Reeves’ finding that there may, Egypt invites expert behind new theory on Nefertiti's tomb | Fox News, Latest update on Nefertiti's hidden burial in King Tut's tomb. ’s funerary equipment, or even an entire tomb, for his own burial. Statue of a king with clear female traits found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. If her remains were discovered, it would be a significant scientific breakthrough, according to Nicholas Reeves, the British scientist who first proposed that the queen is buried near King Tut’s tomb. Family: It is not known who Nefertari's parents were, but the fact that she never claims the title King's Daughter, but does use the title iryt-pat implies that she must have been a daughter of a noble. Queen Nefertiti was the wife of ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, who ruled over Egypt during the 14th century B.C., and the step-mother of King Tut, whose tomb was unearthed in 1922 by Howard Carter. During the reign of Akhenaton, Nefertiti has often been shown in a role that would normally have been reserved for the king only. Nicholas Reeves, an archaeologist at the University of Arizona, has made bold new claims that he believes she has been laid to rest in Tutankhamun’s burial chamber. A discovery would imply that the tomb has actually been found and identified as such. While there are thus some indications that Akhenaton’s co-regent Semenekhkare may have been a woman, perhaps even Nefertiti, and while it is entirely possible that several of Tutankhamun’s statues found in his tomb, actually belonged to the burial of this female king, their presence in his tomb does not necessarily imply that the entire tomb belonged to here, and even less that she would still be buried in … Had she died at Amarna, it seems inconceivable that she would not have been buried in the Amarna royal tomb. The period following the death of Akhenaton was tumultuous at the very least, with members of the royal family who were initially buried in the Amarna royal necropolis, being moved to the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of Thebes.Tomb KV55, for instance, was found to contain parts of the funerary equipments of queen Tiyi, the wife of Amenhotep III, but also, of Semenekhkare, including a coffin where the prenomen of the intended owner may have been changed from Ankhet-kheperu-re to Ankh-keperu-re, as well as some funerary tiles that belonged to Akhenaton, while the male skeleton found inside Semenekhkare’s coffin now appears to have been identified as that of Akhenaton. Is it that surprising, then, that Tutankhamun’s funerary equipment contains objects that were not initially intended for his burial then?Â, Even though Reeves’ finding that there may possibly be two hidden doorways in Tutankhamun’s burial chamber is definitely interesting enough to be examined further, his conclusion that the tomb also holds the burial of Nefertiti is nothing more than a house of cards, based on one supposition having to prove the next supposition.Until a way is found to examine what the traces of doorways actually are, and until the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities agrees to such an examination, Reeves’ conclusion will remain an unproven supposition.As it turns out, the Ministry of Antiquities is open to have this supposition examined a bit closer.Â, About the ‘Discovery’ of Nefertiti’s Tomb, Studying the high resolution scans that were made of the walls of Tutankhamun’s burial chamber, Dr. Nicolas Reeves noted that there are traces of what. The theory was backed up by initial research later that year. Living in the XIXth Dynasty (c. 1295-1255 B.C. Archaeologist Dr. Nicholas Reeves believes he may have discovered Queen Nefertiti's long-lost tomb. I considered this discovery amazing — The Missing Tomb of Egyptian queen Nefertiti may have been discovered, concealed behind the tomb of the boy-king Tutankhamun, According to an English archaeologist , who suggests that the tomb of Tutankhamun, the most famous of Egypt's pharaohs, is concealing a mystery that has puzzled researchers since it was discovered more than 90 years ago. ), her full name was Nefertari Merytmut, meaning "Beautiful Companion, Beloved of Mut".She was the Great Royal Wife of Ramesses II the Great, one of the best known of the Egyptian queens, next to Cleopatra, Nefertiti … A team of scientists led by Mamdouh Eldamaty, the former Egyptian minister of antiquities, seemed to confirm the theory recently. The prenomen of Semenekhkare was Ankh-kheperu-Re Nefer-neferu-Aten, while Nefertiti’s prenomen -in itself yet another indication that she was considered to be a king- wasÂ, Ankh(et)-kheperu-Re Nefer-neferu-Aten, the female variant of Semenekhkare, Semenkhkare makes “his” first appearances at about the same time when Nefertiti seems to disappear.Â, While there are thus some indications that Akhenaton’s co-regent Semenekhkare may have been a woman, perhaps even Nefertiti, and while it is entirely possible that several of Tutankhamun’s statues found in his tomb, actually belonged to the burial of this female king, their presence in his tomb does not necessarily imply that the entire tomb belonged to here, and even less that she would still be buried in that tomb! Read in-depth answer here. The period following the death of Akhenaton was tumultuous at the very least, with members of the royal family who were initially buried in the Amarna royal necropolis, being moved to the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of Thebes. 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. Either way, Reeves told Nature, “If Nefertiti was buried as a pharaoh, it could be the biggest archeological discovery ever.”. In short order, Susan E. James--who had earlier proposed another mummy might be Nefertiti--picked apart Fletcher's evidence in the pages of the journal KMT (fall 2003 issue). This article is more than 5 years old. ... and this was discovered by an Egyptologist who confirmed that malaria was the main cause of death of 70 percent of those who lived in Tel el-Amarna. About Tutankhamun ’ s tomb could lie behind that sealed wall of Nefertiti ’ s.! 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