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Tomb Of King Tutankhamun’s Wife’s Likely Discovered, Archaeologists Say
History buffs may have a reason to rejoice after a team of archeologists found evidence of a tomb, which they believe to be that of King Tutankhamun’s wife Ankhesenamun.
A group, led by renowned archeologist Zahi Hawass, is sure there is a tomb located near the tomb of pharaoh Ay (1327-1323 B.C.) — Ankhesenamun's second husband — in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, but they are still not fully sure whether it belongs to King Tut's wife or not.
"We are sure there is a tomb there, but we do not know for sure to whom it belongs," Hawass told Live Science in an email.
Read: A Wooden Prosthetic Big Toe From Ancient Egypt Discovered
The article regarding the tomb's discovery by Hawass' team was first published July 7 by National Geographic Italia. The archeologist later confirmed the discovery to Live Science as well. He also said his team plans to excavate the new tomb.
Regarding the presence of the tomb in the area, Hawass, former head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said he found four foundation deposits, adding they are "caches or holes in the ground that were filled with votive objects such as pottery vessels, food remains and other tools as a sign that a tomb construction is being initiated."
He went on to explain that ancient Egyptians "usually did four or five foundation deposits whenever they started a tomb's construction." Moreover, Hawass said, radar detection of a substructure near Ankhesenamun's supposed tomb could be an indicator of an entrance to her tomb.
Hawass was head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities between 2002 and 2011, and was Egypt's first minister of state for antiquities after the post was created in January 2011. He resigned from the post in July 2011. Currently, he is serving as the director of the Italian expedition in the Valley of the Kings.
Egyptians were known to build elaborate tombs in ancient times for their kings and pharaohs. They built mastabas, tombs made of dried bricks, which were then used to shore up shafts and chambers dug into the earth. There were ceremonies held in every mastaba, which had a large room where people would honor the spirit of of the deceased. There would be an adjoining smaller room in the mastaba called the serdab, where a statue of the dead person would be placed so that the spirit could witness and enjoy the ceremonies. While the mastaba continued as a tomb for common people, for royalty, it was replaced by the structure known as the pyramid.
Read: Excavation In Egypt Finds A 4,000-Year-Old Funeral Garden, First Discovery Of Its Kind
The Valley of the Kings in Egypt is home to multiple hidden tombs; royalty were buried more than 3,000 years ago. These hidden treasure may include several small tombs, with the possibility of a big-time tomb holding a royal individual, archeologists say, a Live Science report said.
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