With the help of the most modern technology, archaeologists are now almost certain that there is a secret room behind the walls of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
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| The golden tomb of King Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings – PH๏τo: Reuters
The question is whether this room can solve one of the greatest mysteries in Egyptology? |
According to history.com, in July, British archaeologist Nicholas Reeves made a shocking claim when he suggested that Pharaoh Tutankhamun may not have been buried alone in his burial chamber.
After months of poring over ultra-high-resolution pH๏τographs of Tutankhamun’s tomb, Reeves believes that there are two secret doors hiding another chamber that could be the resting place of Queen Neferтιтi – wife of King Akhenaten, Tutankhamun’s father.
Current evidence suggests that Reeves’ hypothesis may be correct. In early November, researchers used infrared thermography to scan the entire burial chamber of King Tutankhamun. The images showed a temperature difference behind the northern walls of the chamber.
This weekend, Egyptian officials also announced the results of a radar scan of King Tutankhamun’s entire tomb and confirmed the presence of an empty space behind the walls.
The Independent newspaper quoted Egyptian officials as saying they were “90 per cent sure” there was a secret chamber inside King Tutankhamun’s tomb. This could very well be the resting place of Queen Neferтιтi.
Archaeologist Reeves believes the tomb was originally built for Queen Neferтιтi. However, King Tutankhamun died at the age of 19 after a nine-year reign, forcing the priests to open the tomb for the queen as Tutankhamun’s tomb was still unfinished.
Currently, archaeologist Reeves believes the “secret chamber” is the burial place of Queen Neferтιтi, but Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamduh al-Damati thinks it is the burial place of King Akhenaten’s second wife Kiya.
The Independent said the scanned images have been sent to Japan for further analysis. The final results could be announced within the next month.
If there is indeed a “secret chamber,” the next challenge facing archaeologists is to find a way to enter the chamber, which has not been opened for nearly 3,500 years, without damaging the tomb or the artifacts inside. However, Reuters quoted al-Damati as saying that archaeologists could open a path into the chamber within three months.
