Egypt Confirms Theory That Hidden Chambers Could Lie Behind King Tut’s Tomb

King Tutankhamun’s tomb may contain two hidden chambers, archaeologists say, further fueling speculation that they could lead to Nefertiti’s tomb.

Eldamaty, Reeves, and the scientific committee are to embark Tuesday on a second trip to the Valley of the Kings, but this time to inspect three tombs of royals who were alive in Tutanakhmun’s era: King and military commander Horemhab, King Akhenaten’s brother King Smenkare, and Amenhotep III.

The Egyptian officials noted there were scratches and markings, one noting these “indicate that the western and northern walls of Tutankhamun’s tomb could hide two burial chambers”. Reeves argues that the architecture of the tomb was most likely designed for a woman, and not a man. He agrees with El Damaty that something is likely hidden behind the walls of the tomb of King Tut.

El-Damaty said he will seek final approval for a radar inspection of the tomb.

Researchers are still debating whether the tomb, if it exists, could actually have belonged to Queen Nefertiti.

Nefertiti was known throughout ancient Egypt for her beauty, and was the wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten, the same that introduced one of the earliest forms of monotheistic religion.

Then, when Queen Nefertiti passed away too, she was buried in a room adjacent to the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

“Nefertiti disappears … according to the latest inscriptions just being found”, said Reeves.

While inscriptions in tombs provide a few information, they are not always helpful in clarifying a pharaoh’s lineage.

Eldamaty asserted that they may have selected a completed tomb of one of his family members, such as Kiya’s, taking a section of her tomb and dedicating it to Tutankhamun. Reeves’s hypothesis comes from years of studying various tombs and goods. But they can’t just knock it down; they had to find another way to see through it. It’s a contentious topic among archaeologists, but according to his theory, King Tut was hastily buried after his untimely death at the age of 19 in an underground burial chamber that wasn’t meant for him.

Reeves’s preliminary investigations suggest that Tut’s burial chamber was originally a corridor, as a line on the ceiling aligns perfectly with the faint outline of the walled up doorway.

He said he hopes it is Nefertiti, but added that whatever is hiding will be “an important discovery”. Tourism at Red Sea beach resorts is rebounding after years of turmoil following the 2011 ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, said Zazou, but otherwise “tourism is suffering tremendously”.