Nefertiti may be buried by her stepson Tutankhamun: Curator
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The curator claims that Tutankhamun’s tomb could be even bigger than Egyptologists' expectations, as it may include his stepmother's tomb.
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Zahi Hawass supervises Tutankhamun's mummy removal (Reuters)
Experts have been trying to solve one of the longest-running archaeological mysteries for centuries, but as of this week, it won't be that long, as the site of Nefertiti’s tomb could be soon potentially discovered, according to Nicholas Reeves, who formerly worked in the British Museum's Egyptian antiquities department.
Speaking to The Guardian, Reeves theorizes that Nefertiti may have been secretly buried near her stepson Tutankhamun's burial chamber. His theory is based on painted cartouches on the walls of Tutankhamun’s tomb illustrating his burial by his successor, Pharoah Ay.
Reeves argues that similar illustrations of Tutankhamun burying Nefertiti may have been concealed, but if he is correct, Tutankhamun’s tomb could be even bigger than Egyptologists' expectations, an indicator of finding Nefertiti’s burial place.
“Far from Tutankhamun having been buried in the expanded, unused tomb of a private individual, it looks very much as if he was merely an interloper within the outer section of a significantly larger, queenly tomb … An unusual state of affairs this may seem, but in fact the arrangement is far from unique," Reeves disclosed to The Guardian.
Tutankhamun’s tomb is rich with antiquities and painted decorations and was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter, who, some recent research claims, almost looted the tomb after exhuming it.
As the 100th anniversary of the discovery nears, speculations are increasing about where Nefertiti’s body may lie. A controversial archaeologist who was once Egypt’s former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, Zahi Hawass, claimed earlier this month that he had found Nefertiti’s mummy, alongside Ankhesenamun, Tutankhamun’s wife. Hawass said he intends to disclose his discoveries to the public in October, as part of his preparation of an exhibition called “Daughters of the Nile” that centers on the women of ancient Egypt during the pharaonic period.
