Leading Explorer Claims To Have Located Queen Nefertiti’s Lost Remains

Could 2022 be the year the mummified remains of famed Egyptian Queen Nefertiti are finally uncovered? It may be more likely than you think, if the words of prominent Egyptologist Zahi Hawass are anything to go by. 

Hawass, who was previously the Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, recently revealed that he believes one of the several unnamed mummies unearthed at an excavation of Luxor’s Valley of the Kings last year may be the historical ruler. 

Stating he would unveil the mummy “in a month or two,” the archaeologist explained the team had already acquired DNA samples from the bodies, identified as being part of the 18th dynasty. The mummies buried in KV21A and B are believed to be of Ankhesenamun, Tutankhamun’s wife; and her mother Queen Nefertiti. 

A separate tomb, known as KV35, could be holding the body of a 10-year-old boy, believed to be King Tut’s brother and the son of Akhenaten. 

According to ARTnews, Queen Nefertiti was said to have ruled Egypt alongside her husband, Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, over 3,000 years ago. The Pharaoh decreed that the entire nation worship a Sun God, Aton, changing his name to Akhenaten—meaning “beneficial to Aton.” 

Following their deaths, most of the monuments dedicated to the King were destroyed, and he was excluded from the kingdom’s official list of rulers. The exact location of his and Nefertiti’s burials were obscured from history, leading to the enduring mystery of where their mummified remains lie. 

Unfortunately, Hawass predicts that some of the lost treasures of Egypt may be lost to climate change before archaeologists can get to them. Citing the Valley of the Kings, he posited that if the tombs were left as is, it’s likely all the graves will disappear in a century’s time. 

Advocating for a “protection plan” for the tombs and temples of the region, the scientist suggests curtailing the flow of tourists, only allowing visitors in via a reservation process. 

Come October, will the world finally uncover the remains of Queen Nefertiti? One can only wait. 

[via ARTnews and Newsweek, cover image via Vvoevale | Dreamstime.com]