The Search Continues: Scientists to Use Radar in Hunt for the Tomb of Nefertiti

Ancient Origins

Egyptologists have been given the green light to use non-invasive radar to see if the chamber hidden behind a wall in King Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings really does belong to Nefertiti. The go ahead has been given following the recent release of highly-debated reports from Dr. Nicholas Reeves.
In his report (which has yet to be peer-reviewed), Reeves asserts that there are entrances to another chamber visible beneath the painted and plastered walls of Tutankhamen’s tomb.  He believes that these entrances may lead to the answer of where Nefertiti was entered. The style and size of the tomb in which King Tut was found also seems to be more appropriate for a queen than a king, according to Reeves.

The golden mask of King Tut. Tutankhamen’s tomb is the gateway to the lost tomb of Nefertiti according to a recent report. (Phys.org)

Reeves is undoubtedly accompanied by others in the impatience to discover if what the digital scans by Factum Arte, really are indications of a great find. A press release says that Reeves will be arriving in Luxor on September 28 to meet with Antiquities Minister Mamduh al-Damati and “the best Egyptologists in the ministry to examine the interior of the tomb.”
Mouchira Moussa, media consultant to Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damati, has said that they are hoping to have a security clearance to use the radar within a month and that the radar is “…not going to cause any damage to the monument.”
Reeves believes that the sudden death of King Tutankhamen in 1332 BC led to his being placed in a part of Nefertiti’s tomb. The two “ghost” doors that he identified in the scans are said to be to a storage room and the tomb of Nefertiti.

Image showing the location of the two chambers from Dr. Reeves report. The upcoming radar scan will search for their existence. (Daily Mail)

"We're very excited... It may not be a tomb belonging to Nefertiti, but it could be a tomb belonging to one of the nobles," said Moussa about the upcoming work at the tomb. "If it is Nefertiti's, this would be very massive."

• The Elusive Tomb of Queen Nefertiti may lie behind the walls of Tutankhamun's Burial Chamber
• The Mysterious Disappearance of Nefertiti, Ruler of the Nile
• Pharaoh Akhenaten

Ahram Online says that they have contacted Reeves for more information regarding the upcoming procedure; however he will not be releasing a statement until after the analysis is completed. The only other known information available is that the radar will be coming from Japan and operated by an expert accompanying the machine from Japan.
The news statement from the Antiquities Minister says we will not have to wait too long to find out more information on the next step: there will be a news conference on October 1st in Cairo to present the preliminary findings and the plan they will use to “verify with certainty” if hidden rooms exist and “still conceal secrets or not.”
Neferneferuaten Nefertiti was born in 1370 BC and died in 1340 BC. She was married to the Pharaoh Akhenaten and renowned for her beauty. Her fame as an Egyptian queen is only second to that of Cleopatra. The mystery of the location of Nefertiti’s tomb has been one of the biggest mysteries in Egyptology.
Featured Image: Bust of Nefertiti, the Egyptian Queen for whom a tomb has yet to be found. (Ahram Online)
By Alicia McDermott