Nefertiti's disputed room

The burial chamber of Tutankhamun, pharaoh of the 18th dynasty and son-in-law of Nefertiti, at Luxor, in the Valley of the Kings. • BRIDGEMAN IMAGES/LEEMAGE

Has a mysterious chamber, hidden near the tomb of Tutankhamun (1332-1323 BC), the most famous of the pharaohs of Egypt, buried in the Valley of the Kings, just been revealed? The hypothesis is old, but it is supported by new analyzes including the scientific journal Nature fact:she was able to consult an unpublished report, drawn up by Mamdouh Eldamaty, archaeologist and former Minister of Egyptian Antiquities, who directed this research. Queen Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten and mother-in-law of Tutankhamun, would she rest in this hiding place?

Mamdouh Eldamaty and his team used ground-penetrating radar to scan Tutankhamun's tomb, which revealed the presence of a corridor northeast of the young pharaoh's burial chamber. It is not yet known if this corridor is directly connected to it or if it belongs to another tomb.

Expert Quarrels

The findings were presented last February to the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities. Some archaeologists are enthusiastic, like the Briton Nicholas Reeves, who previously argued in 2015 that cracks in the tomb's painted walls could suggest the presence of backdoors. He is convinced that Nefertiti may be there.

The place where she rests remains unknown, and all Egyptologists hope one day to discover her burial, believing that she undoubtedly benefited from the privileges and splendours of a pharaoh given her political importance. Moreover, they consider that Tutankhamun's tomb, too small for a royal tomb, was part of a larger ensemble.

This thesis is not unanimous. Unsurprisingly, Zahi Hawass, former Minister of Antiquities under Hosni Mubarak, who is not behind this latest research, remains skeptical because, according to him, the penetration radar technique "has never allowed the slightest discovery in Egypt ". The mysterious Nefertiti continues to sow discord among Egyptologists!