Radar scanning of King Tut’s tomb has revealed two hitherto-unknown chambers containing either metal or organic material, Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damaty said at a recent press conference. Conducted by Japanese scientist Hirokatsu Watanabu and his team, the survey has uncovered two hidden rooms along the eastern and northern walls of the 3,300-year-old, curse-protected tomb.
According to the researchers, the metal and organic substances revealed in the scans quite possibly indicate the presence of a second burial inside the tomb. The discovery in turn confirms the claims made by Nicholas Reeves, an Egyptology expert at the University of Arizona. Published in July of 2015, Reeves’ paper conjectures that the “distinct linear traces” in the high-resolution images of the structure’s walls actually point towards the presence of two yet-to-be-explored chambers. He said:
It does look from the radar evidence as if the tomb of Tutankhamun is a corridor tomb and it continues beyond the decorated burial chamber.
One of the chambers, Reeves believes, houses the remains, along with the funerary goods, of queen Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten, Tutankhamun’s father and the pharaoh credited with the introduction of monotheism. As the British Egyptologist points out, the tomb, where King Tut now rests, was not yet ready when the young pharaoh died unexpectedly at the age of 19. He ruled for less than 10 years until his death in 1323 BC. Subsequently, he was hurriedly buried in what was to be the tomb of Nefertiti.
At recent press conference, al-Damaty confirmed Reeves’ claims, speculating that the hidden spaces could house the remains of other members of King Tut’s family. To determine the exact size of the two rooms, the researchers will be conducting a series of highly-specialized scans later this month. Speaking about the find, al-Damaty said:
Furthermore, based on the GPR data, curves that might indicate doors were also detected above the cavities, which can be seen as an entrance to those cavities… It’s a rediscovery that might lead us to the discovery of the century.
Via: Discovery News