More than 3,300 years ago, Queen Nefertiti and her husband ruled ancient Egypt with a heavy hand.
Many people disliked the royal couple for wielding so much power. While they didn t have many friends, everyone seemed to agree on one thing-that Nefertiti was a woman of rare beauty.
The queen had high cheekbones, a swanlike neck, and smooth features. Her name means "the beautiful one has come."
Although much is known about Nefertiti s life, little is known about her death. There are no records of when or how Nefertiti died or even where she was buried. Her remains have never been found-until now, perhaps.
Recently, a team of archaeologists announced that a forgotten mummy collecting dust in Egypt may be the long-lost queen.
Lost and Found?
The team examined three neglected mummies in a previously sealed-off tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The area along the west bank of the Nile River is known as a burial ground for ancient Egyptian royalty. Joann Fletcher, the head of the research team, believes that one of the forgotten mummies is Nefertiti.
Although grave robbers had damaged the mummy s skull and chest, Fletcher had X-rays taken of the mummy to help prove her case. Two scientists used the X-rays to create a computerized model of what the face would have looked like.
To Fletcher s satisfaction, the re-created face closely resembles the famous sculpture of Nefertiti made during her reign. The mummy holds several other clues that it could be the queen.
First, the mummy s head is clean-shaven. Nefertiti shaved her head so that her crown would fit snugly. A shaved head also helped her stay cool in Egypt s stifling heat. The mummy s forehead shows the mark of a tight-fitting band-a sign of royalty.
Traces of a wig found next to the mummy match the kind Nefertiti would have worn. In addition, the mummy s left earlobe was pierced twice. The sculpture of Nefertiti shows her with a double-pierced ear. Still another promising clue is the mummy s bent arm, which was broken off. Ancient Egyptians buried their kings and queens with their arms crossed.
Royal Flush
If scientists are correct, it would be quite a find. Along with Cleopatra, Nefertiti is believed to have been one of the most powerful women who ever lived in ancient Egypt.
Nefertiti ruled Egypt with her husband, the pharaoh Ikhnaton, from about 1372 B.C. to 1354 B.C. Their palace sat high above the east bank of the Nile River. At the time of her marriage, Nefertiti may have been a young teenager. She was the stepmother of King Tutankhamen, commonly known as King Tut.
Nefertiti and Ikhnaton had many enemies. The royal couple began worshiping one god. That change angered ancient Egyptians, most of whom worshiped many gods.
To better follow their new religion, the royal couple built a new capital, called Akhetaton, in the heart of the desert. From there they ruled Egypt until Ikhnaton died. Many historians think that Nefertiti became pharaoh after her husband s death.
Today, researchers who study ancient Egypt continue to piece together Nefertiti s legendary life.
Some scientists, however, doubt that the mummy is Nefertiti. They said the mummy is much more likely to be male rather than female.
Nevertheless, Fletcher stands by her story. "We re never going to be 100 percent sure," she told a reporter for Time magazine. "She s not going to sit up and tell us who she is."