Hidden chambers behind Tutankhamun’s tomb revive nefertiti search

Archaeologists in Egypt discovered evidence of hidden passages and chambers behind the walls of Tutankhamun’s tomb, renewing speculation about the location of Queen Nefertiti’s final resting place.

Geophysical surveys, including ground-penetrating radar and precise gravity measurements, revealed the potential for rock-cut passages and rooms just meters from Tutankhamun’s burial chamber. Researchers from the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics conducted the scans, identifying a two-meter-wide passage and a series of chambers within the bedrock behind the tomb.

Previous investigations may have missed the passage because they focused on locating a large void directly behind the wall. The gravity survey detected subtle changes in Earth’s gravitational field, indicating areas of differing density suggestive of hidden chambers. Scientists believe these passages could date back to before Tutankhamun’s burial, possibly connecting to an older royal tomb.

The theory that a hidden chamber holds Nefertiti’s remains originated in 2015 with Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves, who noted lines and cracks in the tomb wall and alterations to the wall paintings. He proposed these features indicated a false wall concealing another space. The relatively small size of Tutankhamun’s tomb also led to questions about whether it was part of a larger mortuary complex.

Recent study of the tomb’s design, comparing it to that of Hatshepsut, revealed a directional difference in the tomb’s exit which aligns with royal female tombs of the 18th dynasty. Experts also suggest some paintings within the burial chamber may have originally depicted a different royal figure, potentially Nefertiti. One of the potential chambers appears sealed, possibly containing untouched artifacts from over 3,000 years ago.

However, access to these chambers requires approval from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, and further archaeological investigation is needed to confirm the findings and the identity of the tomb’s original owner.