Queen Nefertiti’s tomb: found at last?

It’s one of the most elusive burial places in archaeology today. But if this archeologist turns out to be right, it may have been under our noses all along.

Dr Nicholas Reeves of the University of Arizona has put forward a compelling idea: Queen Nefertiti’s grave is hidden inside a secret chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, already discovered and thoroughly explored nearly a century ago.

In fact, if the idea turns out to be correct, these two tombs may be one and the same.

We’ll know for sure very soon. According to Perth Now, Egypt has invited Dr Reeves to the tomb to prove his idea.

Nefertiti, who was only recently confirmed by DNA test to be Tutankhamun’s mother, died several years before the famous boy king.

Dr Reeves has suggested that parts of King Tut’s tomb were “recycled” from a previous ruler, and that the tomb itself may be repurposed from a predecessor he believes to be Nefertiti.

Based on inconsistencies in depictions of these rulers, he believes pictures in Tutankhamun’s tomb are actually depictions of Nefertiti, simply modified to look more like a young male.

The boy king died very unexpectedly at just 19 years old. Dr Reeves suggests there may have been a great rush to find a burial place for him.

As construction on a future tomb would not have begun for many years, this would have forced ancient Egyptians to improvise, using a tomb that was never actually intended for him.

“The theory is a very good theory” said Mamdouh al-Damaty, Egypt’s minister of antiquities, “but it doesn’t mean it’s true”

“The best theories don’t always work… But I think it’s definitely worth checking because we can check easily and without damage”.

Egyptian news outlet Ahram Online says a radar scan of the walls – thanks to special technology being brought in for the occasion from Japan – could reveal the answer once and for all.

Are you an ancient history fan? Will you be excited to discover the answers next month?