Archaeologists claim to have discovered Nefertiti’s mummy as it awaits DNA test

Two mummies lying in the Valley of the Kings may be the remains of Nefertiti and Ankhesenamun, Tutankhamun’s wife, with DNA tests expected to confirm whether the remains are ancient Egyptian queens.

More than 3,000 years ago, Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti decided to give up the worship of the Egyptian gods in favor of what the Pharaoh called the one true God – rejecting a millennia of tradition.

His son Tutankhamun – the last of his royal family to rule – turned against his father and restored the pantheon of Egyptian gods.

But after they were both dead, the high priests destroyed monotheistic monuments made by Akhenaten and wrote both their names off their record, banishing the two pharaohs from the history books.

The vengeance of the high priests obscured a rich history that was not fully appreciated until the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, with censorship ironically making him the most famous of the pharaohs.

Now, thousands of years after the end of Egypt’s 18th dynasty, the queens who reigned alongside Akhenaten and Tutankhamun may have been found.

Pictures of Tutankhamun and Queen Ankhesenamun, who were said to be beautiful, are shown

A guide informs tourists outside KV35, the tomb of Amenhotep II, in the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of the River Nile

The mummified remains of Nefertiti, arguably ancient Egypt’s most famous great royal wife, are said to have been stored in tombs KV21 and KV35, in the Valley of the Kings.

Two of the most important women in Egyptian history could be brought back to life if DNA evidence confirms their identities.

CT scans could be used to replicate the facial features of the two queens, scientists have said.

“In October, we will be able to announce the discovery of the mummy of Ankhesenamun, Tutankhamun’s wife, and her mother, Nefertiti,” Prof. Hawass told Newsweek.

“I’m sure I’ll reveal which of the two unnamed mummies could be Nefertiti.”

Finding mummies of perhaps the two most revered queens in ancient history has been the dream of many an Egyptologist.

But archaeologists have found “barely 30 percent of anything underground,” Hawass said.

‘Modern Egypt is built on the Ancient. And that’s why the heritage that remains hidden is immense.’

Nefertiti ruled over what some scholars say was the richest period of ancient Egypt, where the empire prospered.

There is debate as to whether Nefertiti single-handedly ruled after Akhenaten’s death for a short period before Tutankhamun ascended.

Much of her role in the tumultuous period of Egyptian history is still unknown to us, but DNA tests confirming her identity could open the door to further discoveries.

The bust of Nefertiti was found in Egypt in 1912 in Tell el-Amarna, the short-lived capital of Akhenaten. It is now housed in the Neues Museum in Berlin.

Archaeologist Giovanni Belzoni speculated that he had found Nefertiti in 1817 while excavating tomb KV21 in the Valley of the Kings, but DNA testing later proved inconclusive.

Now, modern Egyptologists may be on the cusp of finally identifying her remains.

The sarcophagus with the golden coffin of the pharaoh Tutankhamu is depicted

An aerial view of the ancient Egyptian workers’ village of Deir al-Madina, home to artisans who worked on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings during the New Kingdom period of ancient Egypt, is shown

Colossi of Ramesses II at the entrance to the Luxor Temple, located on the east bank of the Nile River

WHO WAS QUEEN NEFERTITI?

Queen Nefertiti was famous for her beauty as depicted in the famous bust now in Berlin (pictured)

Queen Nefertit was one of the most influential queens of ancient Egypt, ruling during the empire’s prosperous 18th dynasty.

Nefertit, who ruled Egypt 3,300 years ago from 1353 to 1336 BC, was the mother or stepmother of the boy pharaoh King Tutankhamun.

Her full name, Neferneferuaten Nefertiti, means ‘Beautiful are the beauties of Aten, the beautiful is come’.

Her power and charms in 14th century Egypt were such that she also collected many nicknames – from Lady Of All Women, Great Of Praises, Sweet Of Love.

Nefertiti lived during the richest period in the history of ancient Egypt – from around 1370 BC to 1330 BC.

In addition to marrying a king – Pharaoh Akhenaten – she was probably born as the daughter of another Pharaoh and may have ruled jointly with Tutankhamun.

There is even a suggestion that she only ruled Egypt after her husband’s death, meaning she ruled Egypt from cradle to grave.

Pictured is a reconstruction of Queen Nefertiti .’s face

Nefertiti and Akhenaten had six daughters, although it is believed that Tutankhamun was not her son.

DNA analysis has revealed that Akhenaten fathered Tutankhamun from one of his own sisters, making Nefertiti his stepmother.

Her beauty and strength were depicted in a number of temple statues.

Sometimes she is depicted walking behind her husband, but she is also often shown alone, in positions of pharaoh-like power.

Nefertiti is said to have lost her husband around 1336 BC, after which she may have ruled Egypt alone.

Her own death is shrouded in mystery. She is said to have died about six years after her husband, possibly from the plague that hit Egypt at the time.

In 1331 BC, Tutankhaton changed his name to Tutankhamun and moved the Egyptian capital to Thebes, where he died in 1323 BC.