Excitement Mounts as New Infrared Scan in Tomb of Tutankhamun Suggests Hidden Chamber
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Subject: Excitement Mounts as New Infrared Scan in Tomb of Tutankhamun Suggests Hidden Chamber Sun Nov 08, 2015 2:57 pm
Sunday, November 8, 2015 - 14:52
Excitement Mounts as New Infrared Scan in Tomb of Tutankhamun Suggests Hidden Chamber
Following a dramatic new theory by archaeologist Nicholas Reeves that the tomb of Tutankhamun contains two hidden chambers and one of them is the final resting place of Queen Nefertiti, the Ministry of Antiquities in Egypt launched high-tech analyses within the boy king’s tomb on November 4.
Subject: Search for Nefertiti's tomb begins Sun Nov 08, 2015 3:09 pm
Search for Nefertiti's tomb begins
Posted by TANNArchaeoHeritage, Archaeology, Breakingnews, Egypt, Greater Middle East, Near East 7:30 PM
Infra-red scanning of King Tutankhamun's tomb could support a British archaeologist's theory that Queen Nefertiti -- or another ancient Egyptian royal -- is also buried there, Egypt's antiquities minister said Thursday.
The bust of Queen Nefertiti of Egypt is on display in Berlin's "Neues Museum" (New Museum) February 7, 2011. The Nefertiti Bust is a 3400-year-old painted limestone bust of Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaton and is one of the most copied works of ancient Egypt. Due to the bust, Nefertiti has become one of the most famous women from the ancient world as well as an icon of female beauty. It is believed to have been crafted in 1345 BC by the sculptor Thutmose. Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities demands that Germany return the 3,400 year-old bust of fabled Queen Nefertiti, 98 years after it was uncovered on the banks of the Nile [Credit: AFP/John MacDougall]
Archaeologists have never discovered the mummy of the legendary beauty, but renowned British archaeologist Nicholas Reeves said in a recent study that her tomb could be in a secret chamber adjoining Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of Kings at Luxor, southern Egypt.
Egypt in October launched a study known as "Scan Pyramids" bringing together Egyptian, French, Canadian and Japanese experts to unravel the "secrets" of the Giza pyramids outside Cairo.
The project aims to discover any hidden chambers inside them and to understand how the monuments were built, as well as to scan Tutankhamun's tomb.
"The mission has started its first experiment using infra-red thermography to map out the temperature of the walls of Tutankhamun's tomb," Minister of Antiquities Mamduh al-Damati said.
"The preliminary analyses have shown differences in the temperatures registered on different parts of the northern wall" of the tomb, he said.
British archaeologist, Nicholas Reeves speaks during a press conference with Egypt's Minister of Antiquities, Mamdouh Damati (2ndL) on October 1, 2015 in the Egyptian capital Cairo. With the help of a sophisticated radar, Reeves is in Egypt aiming to prove Nefertiti is buried there in a hidden chamber of the young pharaoh's underground tomb that long hid the most fabulous treasure ever discovered in Egypt [Credit: AFP/Mohamed El-Shahed]
Additional experiments are to be conducted to better determine which part of the wall shows a different temperature, he added.
Damati and Reeves, who in September announced they would use infra-red scanning to reveal a secret chamber inside the king's tomb, differ on whose mummy they expect to find there.
According to Reeves, professor of archeology at the University of Arizona, Tutankhamun, who died unexpectedly, was buried hurriedly in an underground chamber probably not intended for him.
His death would have forced priests to reopen Nefertiti's tomb 10 years after her death because the young pharaoh's own mausoleum had not yet been built.
But Damati believes that such a chamber, if found adjoining Tutankhamun's tomb, may contain Kiya, a wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten.
King Tutankhamun's burial chamber was discovered by British Egyptologist Howard Carter in 1922 [Credit: AFP/Cris Couroncle]
Damati hopes scanning the walls of Tutankhamun's tomb will reveal "the discovery of the century".
Nefertiti played a major political and religious role in the 14th century BC. She actively supported her husband Akhenaten -- Tutankhamun's father -- who temporarily converted ancient Egypt to monotheism by imposing the single cult of sun god Aton.
Tutankhamun died aged 19 in 1324 BC after just nine years on the throne.
His final resting place was discovered by another British Egyptologist, Howard Carter, in 1922. Source: AFP [November 06, 2015]
Read more at: http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2015/11/search-for-nefertitis-tomb-begins.html#.Vj-4vLerSUk
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Subject: Is Egypt closer to unlocking the mystery of Queen Nefertiti in King Tut's tomb? Sun Nov 08, 2015 3:13 pm
Is Egypt closer to unlocking the mystery of Queen Nefertiti in King Tut's tomb?
Infrared scans of the tomb of Tutankhamun could point to a hidden chamber – perhaps helping lead researchers to the mysterious queen
One of the most mysterious and powerful women in ancient Egypt, Nefertiti, right, was queen alongside Pharaoh Akhenaten from 1353 to 1336 BC Photograph: Ruggero Vanni/Corbis Alan Yuhas in New York
Sunday 8 November 2015 08.45 ESTLast modified on Sunday 8 November 201510.15 EST
The first infrared scans of the tomb of Tutankhamun could indicate a hidden chamber behind a wall, Egypt’s minister of antiquities announced this week, raising hopes that the crypt of Queen Nefertiti could be found.
Queen Nefertiti dazzles the modern imagination – but why?
Representatives of the ministry of antiquities and a team of international archaeologists “started the first experiment using infrared thermography to map out the temperature of the walls of Tutankhamun’s tomb”, minister Mamduh al-Damati said in a statement.
“The preliminary analyses have shown differences in the temperatures registered on different parts of the northern wall” of the tomb, he said.
Al-Damati added that the team would need to verify the early findings with several more tests and analyses. The first experiment kept researchers in the tomb for 24 hours; the scientists will need a week or more to confirm the results.
Temperature variations on the northern wall could indicate one or more hidden chambers, their presence reflected in the heat (or lack thereof) of pockets of air behind painted plaster. The northern wall of Tutankhamun’s burial chamber appears to show the king, who died aged 19 in 1324BC, in rituals of passage to the afterlife.
Tutankhamun ascended at nine years old, after his father Akhenaten, who was called the “heretic king” for abolishing the Egyptian pantheon in favor of a single sun deity. Tutankhamun’s mother was also his aunt – DNA analysis suggests he was a sickly king – and though not believed to be Nefertiti, her identity is unknown.
Where her tomb lies is also a mystery. In August, University of Arizona archaeologist Nicholas Reeves published a paper arguing that Tutankhamun’s tomb has two hidden doorways: one leading to a store room and the second to Nefertiti’s sarcophagus.
Reeves wrote that Tutankhamun’s small but rich chamber resembles the antechamber of some larger complex, not a major burial room itself. Given the young king’s unexpected death, he was buried in haste and in an already occupied tomb, Reeves argued, its doorways plastered shut and coated in paint.
The golden sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun, pictured, in his burial chamber in the Valley of the Kings, close to Luxor, south of Cairo. Photograph: Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images
But the murals also hold hints of Nefertiti, Reeves wrote. He argued that one image does not show Tutankhamun but rather Nefertiti. The figure has the “somewhat scooped brow and nose and a straight jawline with gently rounded chin” that appears in her portraits, according to Reeves. He also wrote that he believes about 80% of the burial equipment in Tutankhamun’s tomb was made for someone else.
Nefertiti died about seven years before Tutankhamen and loomed large over her era of Egyptian history. She supported her husband’s conversion of Egypt, presided over a period of striking art – some of its most famous works aresculptures of her –and may have ruled the kingdom alone in the years after Akhenaten’s death. Reeves subscribes to the theory that Nefertiti ruled as her husband’s successor – but as Smenkhkare, the name of an enigmatic pharaoh who briefly ruled after Akhenaten.
Nefertiti’s burial place has eluded archaeologists, and some note that her mummy may have been found but left unidentified for lack of DNA or identifying evidence.
In September, al-Damati said preliminary study of Tutankhamun’s tomb made him confident a royal sepulchre would turn up adjacent to it, though the minister speculated it might belong to Kiya, another of Akhenaten’s wives.
“I am now 70% certain that we are going to find something,” he said.
Other archaeologists have cautioned that the chambers, if they exist, may hold only objects or nothing at all.
Reeves, who has for years maintained that Nefertiti is somewhere in the Valley of the Kings, told National Geographic this fall that he could barely register the excitement.
“To be honest, I feel numb,” he said. “This has been part of my life now on a daily basis for more than a year.”
Tutankhamun’s tomb was found in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings, north of Luxor, a city known to the ancient Egyptians as Thebes.
The archaeologists plan to announce more findings about the broader project, which is also scanning the pyramids and other tombs, on Monday.
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Subject: Scientists on the verge of finding Queen Nefertiti's secret tomb: Sun Nov 08, 2015 3:25 pm
Scientists on the verge of finding Queen Nefertiti's secret tomb: Heat detectors pick up chamber that could be secret room at the center of archaeologist's sensational claims
A 24-hour experiment measured the temperature of the tomb's walls
The infrared thermography test showed that one area of the northern wall was a different temperature than other areas
The difference in temperature could indicate that there is a hidden chamber behind the wall
A recent study also found scratches on the northern and western walls
Experts believe that Queen Nefertiti may be buried behind the walls of the grave
Radical claim made by Dr Nicholas Reeves at the University of Arizona
He analysed high-resolution scans of the walls of Tutankhamun's grave
By KELLY MCLAUGHLIN and ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARD and MARK PRIGG FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 10:14 EST, 7 November 2015 | UPDATED: 15:48 EST, 7 November 2015
An investigation of King Tutankhamun's tomb may have led to the indication of hidden chambers, according to a statement from Egypt's antiquity ministry.
A team from Cairo University's Faculty of Engineering and a Paris-based organization called the Heritage, Innovation and Preservation Institute used infrared thermography to measure the temperature of each of the walls of the tomb.
Preliminary analysis of the non-invasive search showed that one area of the northern wall was a different temperature than other areas, which is a potential sign of a hidden chamber.
The completion of the experiment comes, on the 93rd anniversary of the find, and at the same time that researchers unveiled newly colorized photos of the discovery of the tomb.
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Scans of the north wall of King Tutankhamun's burial chamber have revealed features beneath the intricately decorated plaster (left) a researcher believes may be a hidden door, possibly to the burial chamber of Nefertiti
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Infrared thermography experiments may have backed up the researcher's claims, as one area of the northern wall was a different temperature than other areas, which is a potential sign of a hidden chamber. Pictured here is the interior of King Tut's tomb
The pictures were taken by British photographer Harry Burton during the excavation process and have been made from the original glass plate negatives.
Egypt's Antiquities minister Mamdouh Eldamaty said in a statement at the experiment in which investigators looked for hidden tombs lasted 24 hours, according to io9.com.
THE GHOST DOORS
After analysing high-resolution scans of the walls of Tutankhamun's grave complex in the Valley of the Kings, Dr Nicholas Reeves spotted what appeared to be a secret entrance. He uncovered the 'ghosts' of two portals that tomb builders blocked up, one of which is believed to be a storage room. The other, on the north side of Tutankhamun's tomb, contains 'the undisturbed burial of the tomb's original owner - Nefertiti', Dr Reeves argued. Eldamaty said that several more experiments will be carried out in hopes of more accurately determining the area showing a different temperature.
'The team was very impressed and full of emotion to spend the night in the tomb,' Founder of the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute, Mehdi Tayoubi, told Discovery News.
Eldamaty claims scratching and markings on the northern and western walls are strikingly similar to those found by Howard Carter on the entrance of King Tut's tomb The search follows claims by British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves, of the University of Arizona, that high-resolution images of the tomb show 'distinct linear traces' on the walls, pointing to two unexplored chambers.
He said high-resolution images of what is known as King Tut's tomb 'revealed several very interesting features which look not at all natural. They feature like very straight lines which are 90 degrees to the ground, positioned so as to correspond with other features within the tomb.'
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Dr Nicholas Reeves claims to have found evidence for the bricked up entrances to two additional chambers to Tutankhamun's tomb. These include the burial chamber for Queen Nefertiti, who Dr Reeves claims was the boy-kings co-regent and may even have been his mother, and new hidden storage room, as shown above
Dr Reeves claims he made the discovery after analysing high-resolution radar scans of the walls of Tutankhamun's tomb complex, which was uncovered in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings
3D look at statue bust of Queen Nefertiti of Egypt
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These features are difficult to capture with the naked eye, he said. Reeves said the plastered walls could conceal two unexplored doorways, one of which perhaps leads to Nefertiti's tomb.
He also argues that the design of the tomb suggests it was built for a queen, rather than a king.
'I agree with him that there's probably something behind the walls,' Eldamaty said.
He believes these chambers are behind the northerns and western walls of tomb and that one contains the remains of queen Nefertiti, the chief wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten and mother to six of his children, who is Tutankhamun's mother.
Previous DNA analysis has suggested King Tutankhamun's mother may have been a mummy known as the Younger Lady, who is also thought to be his father's sister.
However, there are some Egyptologists who claim that it is actually Nefertiti, the chief wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten and mother to six of his children, who is Tutankhamun's mother.
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Tutankhamun's tomb may contain two hidden chambers, Egypt's antiquities minister said. A policeman takes a photo at the Amenhotep II tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt
WERE KING TUTANKHAMUN'S PARENTS ALSO COUSINS?
The complex family arrangements of Tutankhamun has been one of the great mysteries surrounding the young king.
While his father was known to have been Pharaoh Akhenaten, the identity of his mother has been far more elusive.
DNA testing has shown that Queen Tiye, whose mummy is pictured above, was the grandmother of the Egyptian Boy King Tutankhamun
In 2010 DNA testing confirmed a mummy found in the tomb of Amenhotep II was Queen Tiye, the chief wife of Amenhotep III, mother of Pharaoh Akhenanten, and Tutankhamun's grandmother.
A third mummy, thought to be one of Pharaoh Akhenaten wives, was found to be a likely candidate as Tutankhamun's mother, but DNA evidence showed it was Akhenaten's sister.
Later analysis in 2013 suggested Nefertiti, Akhenaten's chief wife, was Tutankhamun's mother.
However, the work by Marc Gabolde, a French archaeologist, has suggested Nefertiti was also Akhenaten's cousin.
This incestuous parentage may also help to explain some of the malformations that scientists have discovered afflicted Tutankhamun. He suffered a deformed foot, a slightly cleft palate and mild curvature of the spine.
However, his claims have been disputed by other Egyptologists, including Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. His team's research suggests that Tut's mother was, like Akhenaten, the daughter of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye.
Hawass added that there is 'no evidence' in archaeology or philology to indicate that Nefertiti was the daughter of Amenhotep III.
Dr Nicholas Reeves, an English archaeologist at the University of Arizona, has now provided new evidence to support these claims in a report published by the Amarna Royal Tombs Project.
After analysing high-resolution scans of the walls of Tutankhamun's grave complex in the Valley of the Kings, Dr Reeves spotted what appeared to be a secret entrance.
He described how he uncovered the 'ghosts' of two portals that tomb builders blocked up, one of which is believed to be a storage room. The other, on the north side of Tutankhamun's tomb, contains 'the undisturbed burial of the tomb's original owner - Nefertiti', Dr Reeves argued.
If Dr Reeves is correct, the hidden tomb could be far more magnificent than anything found in Tutankhamun's burial chamber.
He believes it is her tomb due to its position positioned to the right of the entrance shaft, which is far more typical of Egyptian queens rather than kings.
The small size of Tutankhamun's burial chamber, given his standing in the Egyptian history, has baffled experts for years and Dr Reeves' theory could suggest that it was built as an addition to an existing tomb - his mother's.
Tutankhamun's burial chamber is the same size as an antechamber, rather than a tomb fit for an Egyptian King, for example.
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The tomb of King Tut is displayed in a glass case at the Valley of the Kings in Luxo. British Egyptologist's theory that a queen may be buried in the walls of the 3,300 year-old pharaonic mausoleum
Pictured is the the decorated north wall of Tutankhamen's burial chamber, behind which Dr Reeves believes is another, more lavish burial chamber belonging to Nefertiti
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English Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves speaks to journalists during a visit to Horemheb tomb at the Valley of the Kings, Egypt
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Dr Reeves describes how he uncovered the 'ghosts' of two portals that tomb builders blocked up, shown here in yellow
Dr Reeve said the richness of the furnishings crammed into Tutankhamun's four small chambers as 'overwhelming'.
The majority of Egyptologists have taken this at face value, he said many of the objects there appear to have been taken from predecessor kings and adapted for the boy-king's use.
He proposes that some of the material in the tomb suggest Nefertiti had been the boy's co-regent.
Combined with the scans of the north wall of the tomb, Dr Reeves believes the tomb belonged to Nefertiti and the pharaoh's room was simply an afterthought, describing it as a 'corridor-style tomb-within-a-tomb'.
The opening of what is believed to have been Nefertiti's tomb is decorated with religious scenes, perhaps in a ritual to provide protection to the chamber behind it, he said.
'Only one female royal of the late 18th Dynasty is known to have received such honours, and that is Nefertiti', Dr Reeves writes.
If Dr Reeves' theory is correct, it may resolve a number of oddities about Tutankhamun's burial chamber that have long baffled researchers.
For instance, the treasures found within seem to have been placed there in a rush, and are largely second-hand.
'The implications are extraordinary,' he wrote.
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In 2010 geneticists used DNA tests to examine the parentage of Tutankhamun and suggested it might be the mummy above, known as the Younger Lady, who was the boy-king's mother. Other experts have claimed, however, that Nefertiti was a cousin of King Tut's father and may have been the boy's mother
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Egyptian laborers work at the entrance of the Valley of the Kings. If Dr Reeves is correct, the hidden tomb could be far more magnificent than anything found in Tutankhamun's burial chamber
A HISTORY OF QUEEN NEFERTITI AND WHY HASN'T HER TOMB BEEN FOUND?
+18 Neferneferuaten Nefertiti - or Queen Nefertiti - was the wife and 'chief consort' of King Akhenaten, an Eyptian Pharoah during 14th century BC, one of the wealthiest era in Ancient Egypt (bust pictured) By Harry Mount
She was the most beautiful queen ancient Egypt ever laid eyes on. She was the stepmother, and perhaps even the mother, of Tutankhamun, the boy-pharaoh of Egypt.
Still, today, the 3,300-year-old sculpture of her face, in the Neues Museum in Berlin, has the power to bewitch, with her almond eyes, high cheekbones and chiselled jaw.
Even her name, Nefertiti, is enchanting. Her full name, Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, means 'Beautiful are the Beauties of Aten, the Beautiful One has come'. Her power and charms in 14th-century BC Egypt were so great that she collected a hatful of nicknames, too – from Lady Of All Women, to Great Of Praises, to Sweet Of Love.
Despite her epic beauty, she remained a model of fidelity to her husband, the Pharaoh Akhenaten. The same could not be said of Akhenaten, who had his wicked way with a series of royal escorts, including, some say, his own daughters.
Nefertiti was Egypt's most influential, and most beautiful, queen, who ruled at the height of the country's power, in the years of the late 18th Dynasty.
Yes, Cleopatra is more famous, but she ruled Egypt in its declining years, in the first century BC. After her death, Egypt became just another province of the Roman Empire.
Nefertiti lived during the richest period in ancient Egypt's history – from around 1370BC to 1330BC, a time when Greece, let alone Rome, was centuries away from the peaks of its magnificent civilisation. As well as marrying a pharaoh, she was probably born the daughter of another pharaoh, as well as possibly ruling alongside Tutankhamun.
There is even a suggestion that she ruled Egypt alone after her husband's death. So from cradle to grave she ruled the roost. Thus her other nicknames: Mistress of Upper and Lower Egypt, and Lady of The Two Lands.
Nefertiti and Akhenaten had six daughters, although it is thought that Tutankhamun was not her son. DNA analysis has indicated that Akhenaten fathered Tutankhamun with one of his own sisters – the first indication of his penchant for regal incest.
He is thought to have fathered another pharaoh with yet another wife, who is named in various inscriptions. The list of consorts didn't end there. Among his other conquests are two noblewomen.
On top of that, it is even suggested that he slept with one of his six daughters. The jury is out on that one, although he probably did install one of them in the ceremonial – if not necessarily sexual – role of Great Royal Wife.
Despite all her husband's rumoured lovers, Nefertiti's name lives on as his loveliest, and most important, wife. Again and again, her beauty and power were depicted in temple images. Sometimes – like Prince Philip with the Queen – she is shown walking behind her husband. But she's also often shown on her own, in positions of pharaoh-like power. In one limestone sculpture at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, she is seen hitting a female enemy over the head on her royal barge.
She is power and beauty combined – Margaret Thatcher meets Princess Diana. In another sculpture, now in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, her slim, lissom body is depicted in all its glory, leaving little to the imagination. Still, today, the bright red of her lips and the kohl-black edges of those almond eyes smoulder across the passage of a hundred generations.
Together, Akhenaten and Nefertiti blazed a trail across Egypt, building spectacular temples. In Karnak, the pharaoh erected one temple, the Mansion of the Benben, to his beloved, stunning wife.
But it wasn't enough just to build temples. The royal couple's devotion to the god Aten – representing the disc of the sun – was so great that they created a whole new capital in his honour at Amarna, a city on the banks of the Nile.
They built the new city from scratch, putting up two temples to Aten and a pair of royal palaces. It was like the Queen and Prince Philip deciding to up sticks from Windsor Castle tomorrow and building a new royal palace in the middle of Cumbria.
Here, too, in Amarna, images of the lovely Nefertiti abound, sporting her distinctive, tall crown. She and her pharaoh are also shown receiving great piles of jewels and gold from their subject people.
They ruled over a civilisation of astonishing sophistication. Among the discoveries are the Amarna Letters, more than 350 tablets excavated in the late 19th century, with 99 of them now in the British Museum.
They tell the tale of a great nation with a highly developed diplomatic service. There are also rare chunks of poetry, parables and similes in the Amarna Letters. One striking line reads: 'For the lack of a cultivator, my field is like a woman without a husband.'
Nefertiti is thought to have lost her own cultivator – her husband –around 1336BC; it is then she may have reigned over Egypt alone.
Her own death is shrouded in mystery. She is reckoned to have died about six years after her husband, possibly from the plague that struck Egypt at that time.
In 1331BC, Tutankhaten changed his name to Tutankhamun and moved the Egyptian capital to Thebes, where he died in 1323BC.
Today, Thebes is Luxor, home to the Valley of the Kings, burial place of Tutankhamun and, just possibly, Queen Nefertiti. So did she go back to Thebes with him – or did he take her body there? Or was she buried in the old capital of Amarna, where that marvellous bust of her was discovered in 1912?
For 3,300 years, the answer has been lost beneath the swirling sands of Egypt. If Dr Reeves is allowed to look behind the walls of Tutankhamun's tomb, we might uncover the fate of the most beautiful, betrayed wife in ancient history.
'If digital appearance translates into physical reality, it seems we are now faced not merely with the prospect of a new, Tutankhamun-era store room to the west [but] that of Nefertiti herself, celebrated consort, co-regent, and eventual successor of Pharaoh Akhenaten.'
Joyce Tyldesley, senior lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester, told The Times that Dr Reeves's hypothesis may prove correct.
This image shows a computer reconstruction created using the skull of a mummy found in an earlier tomb. It bears a resemblance to Nefertiti 'It would not be surprising if the tomb had been intended to have additional rooms, although how far the builders got with these rooms it is difficult to say on current evidence,' she said.
'I would be very surprised if this tomb was built to house the original, or first, burial of Nefertiti.
'It seems to me that it is highly likely that she died during her husband's reign and so would have been buried at Amarna, the city purpose-built by Akhenaten in Middle Egypt.
'But I would have expected her to be buried somewhere in the Western Valley, rather than in the centre of the Valley of the Kings.'
Nefertiti, whose name means 'the beautiful one has come,' was the queen of Egypt and wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten during the 14th century B.C.
She and her husband established the cult of Aten, the sun god, and promoted artwork in Egypt that was strikingly different from its predecessors.
Her titles suggests she was co-regent and possibly a pharaoh after Akhenaten's death. But despite her remarkable status, her death and burial remains a mystery.
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Scientists may have found secret burial chamber in Tutankhamuns tomb, and believe it to be behind a wall of the tomb (pictured)
'Discovering Tutankhamun' the story of the famous king (related)
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'Each piece of evidence on its own is not conclusive, but put it all together and it's hard to avoid my conclusion,' Mr Reeves told The Economist.
Another theory is that if a mummy is found, it could belong to Pharaoh Smenkhkare or Queen Meritation, the full or half sister of Tutankhamun, experts said.
It is possible, however, that nothing at all will be found behind the walls of the tomb.
But Joyce Tyldesley, senior lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Manchester, told The Times that Dr Reeves's hypothesis may prove correct.
'It would not be surprising if the tomb had been intended to have additional rooms, although how far the builders got with these rooms it is difficult to say on current evidence,' she said.
'I would be very surprised if this tomb was built to house the original, or first, burial of Nefertiti.
'It seems to me that it is highly likely that she died during her husband's reign and so would have been buried at Amarna, the city purpose-built by Akhenaten in Middle Egypt.
'But I would have expected her to be buried somewhere in the Western Valley, rather than in the centre of the Valley of the Kings.'
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Tutankhamen's tomb was first discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter.
Archaeologists are shown above removing part of a wooden couch, covered with gold leaf and a hippopotamus head, from the tomb at the time
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The gold burial mask of Tutankhamun, shown above, is one of the greatest treasures found inside the boy king's richly furnished tomb. Since its discovery, the story of the young ruler has entranced archaeologists
Tutankhamun's 3,000-year-old burial chamber was discovered in 1922, after a 15-year search which eventually uncovered 5,000 antiques - including the king's sarcophagus, his gold mask, and stillborn mummies.
The discovery caused a worldwide sensation. The rich furnishings and decorations have entranced the public while archaeologists have puzzled over the king's death.
He was found buried with two stillborn children and his passing ended the Thutmosid family line.
Tutankhamun's death led to war as he was succeeded by his adviser Ay, who married the boy king's widow. Under his rule Egypt was defeated in a war with the Hittites.
Colorized images of the tomb were unveiled by Factum Arte, a group which recently created a life-sized copy of Tutankhamun's tomb, intended for tourists to visit.
The photos tell the story of English archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter, who was asked in 1907 to supervise excavations in the Valley of the Kings.
By that point, Carter had been in in Egypt since 1891 and most of the ancient Egyptian tombs had been discovered.
But very little was known about King Tutankhamen, who had died when he was 19.
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Tutankhamun died in mysterious circumstances around 3,000 years ago. His mummy, shown above being unwrapped by archaeologists, was removed from its ornate stone sarcophagus in the tomb in 2007 so it could be better preserved in a climate controlled case
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Dr Reeves believes the pharaoh's room was simply an afterthought, describing it as a 'corridor-style tomb-within-a-tomb'. Pictured is its entrance On November 4, 1922, Carter's group found steps that led to Tutankhamun's tomb and spent several months cataloguing the antechamber.
The discovery was made near the entrance of the nearby tomb of King Ramses VI in the Valley of the Kings.
On November 26, 1922, Carter and fellow archaeologist Lord Carnarvon entered the interior chambers of the tomb, finding them miraculously intact.
From then a famous exchange between Lord Carnarvon and Carter took place.
'Can you see anything?' asked George Herbert, the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, standing in a gloomy passageway cut into the bedrock of the Valley of the Kings, on the west bank of the Nile.
'Yes,' replied Carter, who was peering at the antechamber to the royal tomb. 'Wonderful things.'
'At first I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber causing the candle flame to flicker,' Carter later recalled.
'But presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold—everywhere the glint of gold.'
To document the entire process, the Metropolitan Museum sent Burton as the excavation photographer.
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The discovery of Tutankhamun's 3,000-year-old burial chamber in 1922 captivated the world. This week, on the 93rd anniversary of the find, researchers colourised black and white photos of the discovery. This image was taken in November 1925, and shows Tutankhamun lying intact with his burial mask on. The photograph was taken as the coffin lid was taken off
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The antechamber captured in December 1922. Pictured are ornately carved alabaster vases in the antechamber, containing perfume. The pictures, taken by British photographer Harry Burton, have been made from the original glass plate negatives
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Howard Carter and an Egyptian worker open the doors of the innermost shrine and get their first look at Tutankhamun's sarcophagus
He was 'Carter's eye and memory.' With his enormous camera and cumbersome negative plates, Burton trekked between the discovery site, his laboratory and his improvised darkroom.
'Every step of the excavation work was documented in photographs, right down to the smallest detail,' according to Premier Exhibition, who are displaying the photos.
'The results of Burton's labours are 2,800 large-format glass negatives, which document all of the finds, their location in the tomb and every single step of the excavators' work with the utmost precision.
'Carter patiently and unconditionally encouraged him like no other member of his team and, thanks to his photos, Burton was the first and only archaeological photographer to achieve worldwide fame.'
The colorized black and white photographs are part of a new exhibition opening in New York called The Discovery of King Tut.
But the discoveries to make made in King Tut's burial chamber are far from complete.
A ground-breaking investigation of King Tut's tomb to find secret chambers will begin today and will last until Friday, Egypt's Minister of Antiquity said this week.
Researchers believe Tutankhamun's tomb may contain two hidden chambers.
Egypt's antiquities minister, Mamdouh Eldamaty, claims scratching and markings on the northern and western walls are strikingly similar to those found by Howard Carter on the entrance of King Tut's tomb
UGLY STATUE OF QUEEN NEFERTITI CAUSES OUTRAGE IN EGYPT
The bust of the 14th Century BC ruler was deemed so ugly it quickly drew comparisons to Frankenstein. It was removed after just a few days
To many Egyptians, she remains a potent symbol of their country's beauty and rich cultural heritage.
So you can imagine their horror when this statue of Queen Nefertiti was unveiled to great fanfare.
The bust of the 14th Century BC ruler was deemed so ugly it quickly drew comparisons to Frankenstein.
As mocking virals swept across Twitter, one Egyptian woman tweeted: 'This is an insult to Nefertiti and to every Egyptian.'
Another Twitter user wrote: 'I guess this is what she looked like four days after she died.'
One launched a direct attack on the sculptors, saying: 'If you don't know how to make statues, don't go and do something so unfair to the beautiful Nefertiti.'
The statue, which was installed at the entrance to the city of Samalout, was intended to be a replica of the famously beautiful 3,300-year old bust unearthed in Ammarna in 1912.
But the groundswell of criticism was fervent officials have last month removed the statue after just a few days. Read more:
Tutankhamun’s tomb may house lost grave of Nefertiti | The Times
The Burial of Nefertiti? (2015) | Nicholas Reeves - Academia.edu
What lies beneath? | The Economist
The Search for a Secret Chamber at King Tut's Tomb Just Got Interesting
Subject: 'Anomalies' Found In Thermal Scanning of Pyramids In Egypt Tue Nov 10, 2015 7:20 pm
'Anomalies' Found In Thermal Scanning of Pyramids In Egypt
Published on Nov 10, 2015
www.undergroundworldnews.com
Anomalies have been found in Egypt's Khufu pyramid two weeks into a thermal scanning project aimed at discovering the famed pharaonic monument secrets, officials said on Monday.
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Subject: Thermal Scan of Egyptian Pyramids Reveals Mysterious Anomaly in the Great Pyramid Tue Nov 10, 2015 7:23 pm
10 NOVEMBER, 2015 - 15:02 APRILHOLLOWAY
Thermal Scan of Egyptian Pyramids Reveals Mysterious Anomaly in the Great Pyramid
Scientists looking to uncover hidden chambers and other ancient secrets of the Egyptian pyramids for the first time using powerful scanning technology, have detected an ‘impressive’ anomaly within...
Subject: Excitement Mounts as New Infrared Scan in Tomb of Tutankhamun Suggests Hidden Chamber 
Sun Nov 08, 2015 2:57 pm
