June 22, 2003
"Nefertiti Found? The Jury is still Out"

MU recommends the pictured book for those interested in further study of this subject. Click on the image to purchase or to view similar titles.

From Riches to Rags............
Time passes slowly. At times? It's as if time has indeed, stood still.

Over 3,300 years ago, the Beauty known as Nefertiti died. Shortly thereafter, her remains vanished.

When time stood still along the Nile in Egypt, Nefertiti was a woman whose beauty was beyond compare. Her physical attributes outshone all of those around her. Her figure? Sublime. Her flawless face and "swan neck" more than likely the envy of women then, and yes, even now.

Beauty was not her only claim to fame. At the tender age of  12, it is surmised she married a man known as Amenhotep IV, who became Pharaoh, in about 1350 B.C.

Not only did she 'shine,' she was married to a man who was not your run of the mill Pharaoh. He was a rebel of sorts, known for changing the status quo. At the time of Amenhotep IV's reign, the priesthood in Egypt's religion, described as "polytheistic" ... believing in more than one god, held the reins of power. The Pharaoh's answer to this was to remove this concept and pull these beliefs out from under the established priesthood. In its place, he abolished the system and instituted a religion that worshiped the Sun god, Aten. He also changed his name to "Akhenaten — or "one who serves Aten."

Patience may be a virtue, yet by the 12th year of his 17 year reign, any reference to Nefertiti just........... vanished. Needless to say, what followed is pure speculation, yet the story indicates of one two outcomes. She either died, OR ..... became a CO-regent with her husband and after his death, a Pharaoh in her own right, for a brief period of time, using a different name until succeeded by Tutankhamen.

At the time of her death, she was interred in the family tomb, built by her husband and located in the city that is now known as Amarna.

Religion returned to the beliefs of polytheistic. Since Nefertiti was a part of the original changes, in support of her husband, the tomb was ransacked. It is suggested that those who had been loyal to Nefertiti removed her remains to an unknown location. The mystery of her whereabouts have been unsolved, possibly until now.

In 1898, a tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings. It was constructed for Pharaoh Amenhotep II, who died in about 1419 B.C.

When the tomb was unsealed in 1898, other Pharaohs were found as well. Their names may ring a bell.... Ramesses IV, V and VI. Their coffins were located in a side chamber. Here is where the mystery becomes more intense!

In another chamber, much smaller in size, a rather gruesome find. Three mummies were there, exposed to the elements. A middle-aged woman, a younger woman and a young boy. The mummies had been stripped and the wrappings tossed over their legs. The remains of the younger woman and the boy, had been mutilated.

Before the tomb was resealed, sketches and photographs were taken. Then, the three were placed on thin mattresses.

The twists and turns in this saga never seem to cease. A British  Egyptologist and member of the University of York's mummy-research team, has been very interested in the tomb. Her name is Joann Fletcher.

While working on her doctoral dissertation on ancient Egyptian hair and wigs, she
kept going back to the photograph of that young woman found. Her head had been shaved. That gave Fletcher a clue. Nefertiti's head had been shaved as well. The reason behind this was presumed to be ease in wearing her snug fitting crown.
She then learned that a piece of a wig was also found NEXT to the mummy.

This was more than enough impetus for Fletcher to find a way to examine the tomb, and with persistence and help through the Discovery Channel and Atlantic Productions, the Egypt Supreme Council of Antiquities granted permission.

She has since made two trips and based on her analysis, she is convinced that the long lost Mystery of Nefertiti has been solved. There are those who are not as optimistic, and even Fletcher admits there is no way, in this particular situation to be 100% positive.

Here are the rest of the Clues that point to her conclusions:

1. Nefertiti lived during the mid to late 18th Dynasty. The high quality of the embalming and location of the incisions fit this era.

2. The young woman's left earlobe had been pierced twice, a feature, Fletcher says, she has seen in depiction's of no other ancient Egyptian women but Nefertiti and one of her daughters.

3. The mummy's forehead bore the impression of a tight-fitting brow band, a sign of royalty. "During this period, brow bands were worn only by the king and his principal queen," says Earl Ertman, professor emeritus of Egyptology at the University of Akron.


Although DNA testing is not permitted, Fletcher was able to use a portable x-ray machine and piece together images of all three of the mummies found in that second small chamber. Of course there are variables to consider. However, to date, it has been concluded by Fletcher and her team, that the older woman was 35 to 45 years old, the boy, between 12 and 14 and the young woman, between 19 and 30. Fletcher feels the two mummies were relatives of Nefertiti.

Unfortunately, quite a bit of desecration had taken place, centuries ago. That also points to Nefertiti, in Fletcher's opinion. At the time of Nefertiti and her Pharaoh husband, as pointed out above, they created a great deal of controversy. Being unpopular, it is not surprising that grave robbers or those just venting could have caused the severe damage to the mummified remains.

If only Mummies could talk.................
Nancy, Director of Operations, Editor