So he went to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt, to examine these lines in person, and now he’s developed a radical theory.
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According to Fox News today, “The findings suggest that the western and northern walls of the burial chamber could hide two burial chambers, according to Antiquities Minister Mamdouh Eldamaty”.
El-Damaty told reporters they’re in the process of seeking final approval to perform a radar inspection of the tomb, which will confirm the presence of hidden chambers.
A new examination of King Tut’s tomb gives evidence that there are two hidden rooms beneath the walls, one of which could be Queen Nefertiti’s tomb.
“I am now 70 percent certain that we are going to find something”, said Damati, the minister, as he stepped out of the tomb.
These features are hard to capture with the naked eye, he said.
Nefertiti was known throughout ancient Egypt for her beauty, and was the wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten, the same that introduced one of the earliest forms of monotheistic religion. Akhenaten was succeeded by a pharaoh referred to as Smenkhare and then Tut, who is widely believed to have been Akhenaten’s son.
Support for this theory comes from the fact that the design of King Tut’s tomb appears to be more suited to a queen than a king, Reeves says. Reeves suspects that the mummified remains of Nefertiti and various grave goods lie hidden within the secret chambers. “I think that Nefertiti didn’t disappear, she simply changed her name”.
The Egyptologist speculated that the tomb could have been Nefertiti’s, and when King Tut died, it was extended to house his remains.
Eldamaty said they will announce the results on November. 4, the anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb.
While inscriptions in tombs provide a few information, they are not always helpful in clarifying a pharaoh’s lineage. But many other royal tombs and mummies from ancient Egypt’s 18th and 19th Dynasties have also come to light.
Archaeologist Nicholas Reeves has a knack for staring at things, like laser scans of King Tut’s tomb. These features include ceilings, wall paintings, and the location of the magic bricks that contain amulets, which protect the deceased against the enemies of the god Osiris.
The new evidence combined with Reeves’s existing theory likely mean further excavation. Dr Reeves suggests there may have been a great rush to find a burial place for him.
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He said he hopes it is Nefertiti, but added that whatever is hiding will be “an important discovery”. Tourism at Red Sea beach resorts is rebounding after years of turmoil following the 2011 ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, said Zazou, but otherwise “tourism is suffering tremendously”.
