Archeologist One Step Closer to Finding Nefertiti's Tomb–Just 1,000 Steps to Go!

Back in August, a British archeologist announced (to much fanfare) that he thought he knew where the famous Egyptian queen Nefertiti might be buried—in some hidden rooms off King Tut’s tomb. Now he’s back with an update.

Nicholas Reeves originally based his theory on some very detailed, high-resolution photos taken by a company trying to create a replica of Tut’s tomb. He noticed a bunch of cracks that suggested a plastered-over doorway. Any number of things could be through that doorway—including the tomb of somebody important, like Nefertiti. The BBC reports that Egyptian officials were sufficiently intrigued to invite him over to case the joint with radar, and now he says that sure enough, he found two additional, hidden rooms.

The BBC also has a little more background on why Reeves thinks she might be in there:

Mr Reeves believes the remains of Tutankhamun, who died 3,000 years ago aged 19, may have been rushed into an outer chamber of what was originally Nefertiti’s tomb.

Also:

Tutankhamun’s tomb was the most intact ever discovered in Egypt. Close to 2,000 objects were found inside.

But its layout has been a puzzle for some time – in particular, why it was smaller than those of other kings’ tombs.

Dr Reeves believes there are clues in the design of the tomb that indicate it was designed to store the remains of a queen, not a king. His theory has yet to be peer-reviewed and leading Egyptologists have urged caution over the conclusion.

He’s still got a long, long way to go to prove this theory, with a lot of delicate work ahead. Those rooms could be full of dirty socks and cobwebs; there could be somebody important buried there, but not Nefertiti famous. But if she’s actually back there, it’ll prove once and for all that even archeology isn’t immune to “Did you check the last place you had it?” “YES!” “Check again.” “…. I found it.”

Photo via Getty.