Scans of famed King Tut’s burial chamber have revealed two hidden rooms that could give hints as to the burial place of his stepmother — Queen Nefertiti — suggesting his tomb may not have been his own alone after all. (Source: AP)
As a part of what is being described as the most significant discovery of this century so far, archaeologists have discovered the possible burial place of Queen Nefertiti — stepmother of King Tutankhamun. She was the wife of Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten and was said to have wielded considerable influence over him. Nefertiti and Akhenaten are said to have created a religious revolution by worshipping only the sun disc — Aten. Some believe she ruled after her husband’s death, until Tutankhamun took over. The family’s rule ended by a military takeover and their name was removed from history, until the discovery of King Tut’s tomb in early 20th century sparked an interest in ancient Egyptian history.
Queen Nefertiti’s bust on display at Neues Museum in Berlin. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
The death and remains of Queen Nefertiti have remained shrouded in mystery so far. She suddenly disappeared after 12 years of ruling and her and her blood kin’s mummies have never been identified, nor is the exact manner of her death known. Nefertiti came into public eye after the discovery of her bust — said to be over 3,000 years old — which is now on display at Neues Museum in Berlin.
Recent radar scans have revealed what look like secret chambers behind King Tut’s tomb, according to Quartz Africa. Mamdouh al-Damaty — Egypt’s minister of antiquities — said that the chambers housed metal and organic masses that could be possible funeral objects. British archaeologist Nicholas Reeves created quite a stir when he put forth a similar theory in August, 2015.
He said in his paper that, “As Akhenaten’s first wife and co-regent, Nefertiti may have succeeded him as pharaoh and ruled Egypt until her death. The burial complex in which Tut was found was really Nefertiti’s. When Tut died young — amid political and cultural chaos — no tomb was ready for him, so he was rushed into an ante-chamber to his step-mother’s (or mother’s). And the relatively minor boy king has been there ever since — a distraction from the true treasures that lay beyond.”
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