Is Queen Nefertiti Buried In King Tutankhamun's Tomb?

[Dangun]

I don't know anything very much about Ancient Egypt, so I offer absolutely no warranty of anything 
But I thought this story was interesting...

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/11/is-queen-nefertiti-also-buried-king-tutankhamuns-tomb_n_7969990.html

The basic claim is that Tutankhamun's tomb was originally built for his mother Nefertiti and that from images of the walls, unexplored areas of the previously planned tomb can be identified.

The article is based on this paper available online...
http://www.academia.edu/14406398/The_Burial_of_Nefertiti_2015_

Which in turn is based on these hires images available online...
http://www.highres.factum-arte.org/Tutankhamun/

[Patrick Waterson]

The essence of the idea - which is definitely worth checking out - is encapsulated in this diagram.

Bentreshyt(Omm Sety)'s quote is interesting.

"Now, about the tomb of Nefertiti," [Omm Sety] continued, sounding a bit hesitant. "I did once ask His Majesty where it was, and he told me. He said, 'Why do you want to know?' I said I would like to have it excavated, and he said, 'No, you must not. We don't want anything more of this family known.' But he did  tell me where it was, and I can tell you this much. It's in the Valley of the Kings, and it's quite near to the Tutankhamun tomb. But it's in a place where nobody would ever think of looking for it," she laughed. "And apparently it is still intact ..."

- el Zeini and Dees 2007, 265-266

[Patrick Waterson]

It is at present generally accepted that Nefertiti's mummy has not yet been found (or if found has not been identified), the KV 35 ('KV' simply means 'Kings Valley') annexe female mummies being Tiy and Meritaten.  There are two current Nefertiti tomb possibilities in the Valley of the Kings if one assumes the original occupant of KV 64 was not her.

1) KV 65.  This as yet unopened tomb, near that of Tutankhamun, is a possibility.

2) KV 62 extension.  This is the suggestion embodied in the opening post that Tutankhamun's tomb was originally Nefertiti's and a few rooms were 'borrowed' to house Tutankhamun after his premature demise.

One fly in the ointment concerning theories of Nefertiti being buried in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes (apart from her perhaps being more properly assigned to the Valley of the Queens) is the discovery of a ushabti of Nefertiti at Amarna (source).  Unless this was a dropped stray or a workshop reject, it would suggest that Nefertiti was buried at Amarna (possibly in tomb 26) and her tomb subsequently plundered.

But we shall see.  Omm Sety may be right after all.

[Dave Beatty]

Osiris News reports that the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities has given permission for an American team to investigate the theory that there are two hidden chambers behind the north and west walls of Tutankhamun's tomb. One is postulated to hold Nefetiti. Stand by for news:

http://www.osirisnet.net/news/n_08_15.htm?en

Also, if you will be in Cairo over Christmas, the Minister of Antiquities said "For the Christmas holiday season, photography with no flash will be allowed in the Egyptian museum in Tahrir for all visitors starting from 1st of December 2015 till 7th of January 2016."

[Duncan Head]

The latest is permission to use radar - http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/oct/22/radar-use-approved-to-search-tutankhamuns-tomb-for-hidden-room

[Patrick Waterson]

And they are about to start.  Officially.

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's Antiquities Ministry said Thursday that exploration has begun inside King Tutankhamun's 3,300 year-old tomb in the search for hidden chambers that an Egyptologist believes could include Queen Nefertiti.

The ministry said the search would last three days. Results are to be announced Saturday in Luxor, the southern Egyptian city that served as the pharaonic capital in ancient times.

Egypt's Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty said in September he was convinced a hidden chamber may lie hidden behind King Tut's final resting place.

British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves, who toured the tomb with el-Damaty in September, theorized that Tutankhamun, who died at the age of 19, may have been rushed into an outer chamber of what was originally Nefertiti's tomb.

Reeves reached his theory after high-resolution images discovered what he said were straight lines in King Tut's tomb. These lines, which were previously hidden by color and the stones' texture, indicate the presence of a sealed chamber, he said.

The Egyptologist displayed the images in a presentation in Cairo that was broadcast live on national TV.

Nefertiti, famed for her beauty and who was the subject of a famous 3,300-year-old bust, was the primary wife of the Pharaoh Akhenaten, who tried and failed to switch Egypt to an early form of monotheism. Akhenaten was succeeded by a pharaoh referred to as Smenkhare and then Tut, who is widely believed to have been Akhenaten's son.

Reeves believes that Smenkhare is actually Nefertiti.

Tut, Nefertiti, and Akhenaten's family led Egypt during one of its most turbulent times, which ended with a military takeover by Egypt's top general at the time, Horemheb. The whole family's names were wiped out from official records later on.

Actually it was Ay (Kheperkheperure to his friends and you utter b_st_rd to those who opposed him) who took over, but never mind.  The exploration is under way.

[Dangun]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34952947

The BBC is giving a comment to the effect that early radar images show promise...
Hard to doubl-check since its only an hour old story.

[Patrick Waterson]

It is looking positive regarding the existence of more chambers.  This will make the exploration worthwhile even if Nefertiti's mummy is found not to be present.

[Patrick Waterson]

And it is now looking even more positive.  Story here.

Egypt says a search for the resting place of the pharaonic Queen Nefertiti has revealed possible "organic material" inside empty spaces behind two walls in the tomb of Tutankhamun. The antiquities minister said radar scans carried out in November pointed to "different things behind the walls".

A more advanced scan will be conducted later this month to ascertain whether the empty spaces are in fact chambers.

A British Egyptologist believes Nefertiti was buried there. She ruled in the 14th Century BC, and may have been Tutankhamun's mother.
His tomb was discovered in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter.

Mystery design
Announcing the results of November's scans on Thursday, Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty said they had revealed the presence of two empty spaces behind two walls of the burial chamber.

"We can say more than 90% that the chambers are there. But I never start the next step until I'm 100%. [The scans point to] different things behind the walls, different material that could be metal, could be organic."

The BBC's Orla Guerin reports from King Tutankhamun's burial chamber in Luxor: ''This chamber has been the focus of intense interest'' He added: "For Egypt it is a very big discovery, could be discovery of the century. It is very important for the Egyptian history and for all over the world."

The British Egyptologist Dr Nicholas Reeves believes the remains of Tutankhamun, who died 3,000 years ago aged 19, may have been rushed into an outer chamber of what was originally Nefertiti's tomb. He posited in early 2015 that Nefertiti may have been buried there too after examining scans of the tomb, near the site of the original Valley of the Kings in Luxor. Tutankhamun's tomb was the most intact ever discovered in Egypt. Close to 2,000 objects were found inside. But its layout has been a puzzle for some time - in particular, why it was smaller than those of other pharaohs' tombs. Dr Reeves believes there are clues in the design of the tomb that indicate it was intended to store the remains of a queen. His theory has yet to be peer-reviewed and leading Egyptologists have urged caution over the conclusion.

Some believe that Nefertiti's mummy was discovered in 1898 and is now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

[Patrick Waterson]

Well, the latest news seems to be that nobody can make up their minds: two surveys have been done, with conflicting results.

National Geographic has the story.