Ancient Egyptian thriller ‘solved’ as secret chamber present in Tutankhamun’s Tomb
A new study suggests that the body of another iconic Egyptian may be hidden within the walls of Tutankhamun’s tomb inside a much larger burial complex
The burial chamber in the Tomb of Tutankhamun
Experts believe they have discovered the answer to a famous archaeological mystery deep inside the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Newly conducted scans of the site have revealed a maze of previously unknown chambers and winding corridors just metres from where the iconic king is buried inside the Valley of the Kings. Egyptologists believe one of these hidden rooms could be the lost burial site of Queen Nefertiti.
The queen, whose bust at the British Museum means she is still instantly recognisable today, died around 3,500 years ago at some point between 1336–1330 BC. Her cause of death remains a mystery to this day.
Tutankhamun’s burial chamber may hold the secrets to the death of another iconic Egyptian
Academics have been puzzled for years about where Nefertiti, who was Tutankhamun’s stepmother, was buried after she died. Some have claimed that she may have been placed nearby to her relatives.
British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves pointed to cracks within several surfaces of Tutankhamun’s tomb chamber. He argued that they suggested one of the walls may be false and concealing a larger site containing more graves. The researcher said that, considering he was a powerful pharaoh, the young king’s chamber appears rather small. This indicates it formed part of a larger complex, he added.
The latest scans suggest he may have been right. Using a series of high-tech surveying techniques including ground-penetrating radar, experts found that Tutankhamun’s tomb chamber does form part of a wider group of rooms and corridors. The bulk of them predate his burial site.
Experts think that the tomb hides a larger burial complex
Mr Reeves wrote: “The implication of this leftwards turn is clear. [The chamber] conforms to the architectural grammar of neither a private nor a kingly monument. The plan Tutankhamun’s tomb follows is that of an Eighteenth Dynasty Queen. Close analysis confirms that the space employed as a burial chamber for Tutankhamun had not been conceived as such.”
Lead researcher Mamdouh Eldamaty said: “The data strongly suggest that there is a ‘hidden complex’ of corridors and rooms that pre-dates the entombment of Tutankhamun.”
If confirmed, the experts reckons that the find could “rank among the most transformative archaeological discoveries of the modern era”.
Scientists used radar to map the larger site
George Ballard, study co-author and geophysical specialist, explained how the study was carried out. He said: “Structures with right angles, of low density – and those structures are interestingly parallel on their axes to the north wall. We are looking at the very limits of detection.”
