An Ancient Mystery
© Mohamed el-Shahed—AFP/Getty Images
King Tut’s coffin is inside his tomb but has been placed in a climate-controlled glass case.
During the 14th century BCE, Nefertiti was the queen of ancient Egypt. Married to a pharaoh (king) called Akhenaten, Nefertiti was important enough that artists made statues and sculptures of her. Yet no one has been able to find Nefertiti’s tomb. Now, a new study supports a theory that Nefertiti was buried in the same structure as the famous King Tutankhamun (also known as King Tut).
Researchers have long thought there was more to King Tut’s tomb than meets the eye. The ancient Egyptians built large, treasure-filled tombs for most of their pharaohs. But while Tut’s tomb was full of treasures when it was discovered in 1922, it was fairly small. In 2015, experts began to wonder if the structure that houses King Tut’s tomb, known as KV62, was really built for Queen Nefertiti. Nefertiti may have been Tut’s stepmother and might have died earlier than he did. (There is no record of when Nefertiti died, so researchers can only guess.)
Oliver Lang/DDP—AFP/Getty Images
This sculpture shows the face of Queen Nefertiti.
Using modern technology, researchers scanned the walls of the tomb in 2015 and found outlines of what could once have been doorways. The researchers believe that Nefertiti could have been buried at KV62, and then outer rooms were added for King Tut after he died suddenly. Is Nefertiti’s tomb hidden in an inner chamber that’s no longer easy to reach?
For the new study, researchers used radar and other tools to learn more about what’s behind the walls of Tut’s burial chamber. Their results are uncertain. But they believe there are at least two unexplored chambers.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to search the hidden area without risking damage to the ancient walls and passageways. The researchers are asking for permission to drill a tiny hole into the ceiling of KV62, right above the mysterious area, and lower a camera down. Will they find Nefertiti’s tomb?
