Zahi Hawass claims that he has found the tomb of Queen Nefertiti

[UM-Bot]

The famed Egyptologist maintains that he has solved the millennia-old mystery of Nefertiti's whereabouts.

https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/360769/zahi-hawass-claims-that-he-has-found-the-tomb-of-queen-nefertiti

[Wepwawet]

I'm posting this in two threads because it cannot go into this thread and not into the Amarna thread also.

Without the data, so speculating, I'll put forward this opinion on how this works with the DNA of all the relevant mummies, ie, KV21, 35, 55 and 62.

The easy part is that Tutankhamun is the son of KV35YL and KV55, who are full siblings and children of Amunhotep III and Queen Tiye. The debate here is not on what the DNA says, but on giving names to KV35YL and KV55, ie, do we have Nefertiti and Akhenaten respectively.

The DNA tests of various Amarna mummies conducted over a few years starting in 2007 gave indeterminate results for the two female mummies found in tomb KV21. The younger mummy, aged older than 21, is known as KV21A, and the elder mummy, aged about 45, is known as KV21B. The DNA results of Tutankhamun linked him to the two fetuses found in his tomb, and they were also linked to KV21A, though at that time a link was only suggested, not proven. The only known wife of Tutankhamun was Ankhesenamun, who epigraphic evidence shows to be the third daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, therefore the possibility arose that KV21A was Ankhesenamun.

This has been the situation since partial DNA results were published in 2010, with the only change being the release of the full DNA results in 2020, which though being very interesting, did not solve the issue of the KV21 mummies and who they could be.

Further testing has been carried out earlier this year, and it is these results that we await. Going by what Hawass has said, and doing some reading between the lines I'll admit, it looks like a breakthrough has been made and the identity of the KV21 mummies will be announced. What seems to have been the crucial factor is the DNA results of a boy aged around twelve who was found in KV35 between KV35YL and Queen Tiye. He has long been thought to be a son of Amunhotep II named Webensenu, whose shabti were found in KV35. However, a resemblance to Queen Tiye was noted, and also a resemblance to a statue of Tutankhamun as the Moon god Khonsu, part of the Theban Triad. Personally, I thought the resemblance to be striking. As he was found by Queen Tiye, it has also been suggested over the years that he might be crown prince Thutmose, though, in my opinion, Thutmose had reached adulthood by the time he died, his titles suggest this, and so the boy is too young to be him. The only other reasonable option, with no DNA results ever having been given for him, until next month, was that he may be a brother of Tutankhamun.

Hawass has intimated that he may be a brother of Tutankhamun, and of course he knows full well that he is and is just spinning the story out, as is his usual style. How then could he be the key to unlocking the identity of the two KV21 mummies. I will speculate that his DNA shows him to be only a half brother to Tutankhamun, and that while his father is still KV55, the same as Tutankhamun, his mother is not KV35YL, but KV21B, whose DNA shows here to be the mother of KV21A, whose own DNA shows her to be a daughter of KV55, and only a half sister to Tutankhamun, not full sister as previously thought. As we know for certainty, and there is no doubt, no disagreement, that Ankhesenamun was the wife of Tutankhamun and daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, and that the DNA will show KV21A and Tutankhamun as parents of the two fetuses, then KV21A can be none other than Akhesenamun.

The boy will be shown to be the son of KV55 and KV21B, a half brother to Tutankhamun, and full brother of KV21A, Ankhesenamun. Therefore, KV21B has to be Nefertiti as there is no dispute over the parentage of Ankhesenamun. This will happen because KV21B, Nefertiti, cannot be a full sister to KV55, the putative, if not probable, Akhenaten, but a cousin, and here we go into more intricate DNA analysis which I leave to others. This still leaves KV35YL as the mother of Tutankhamun, but she cannot be Nefertiti, but an unamed full sister of Akhenaten, and there will of course be arguments over which sister this can be, but I fear will never be answered.

So, a putative family tree will be Akhenaten marries a half sister or cousin named Nefertiti, with whom he has six daughters and one son, the still by name annonymous boy from KV35, the only son, as far as we know, of the king and queen. Tutankhamun is the son of Akhenaten and an unknown sister of his, and marries the third daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti and has two unborn daughters by her.

This all raises questions, and will be disputed, though if the DNA results are clear cut that may be difficult. That Tutankhamun is now "relegated" by not being a son of Nefertiti does not alter his right to the crown as primogentiture was practiced, and his is the crown by right, if first born son to Akhenaten, even if not born to Akhenaten's primary Great Royal Wife. This was the case with Amunhotep III, and other kings, who were not the son of the GRW, but had been born first.

When the boy died and how, though it looks now like he took a fall, chariot or from a roof, cannot be known on available evidence, likewise when KV35YL died and how she received her fatal wound to her face we cannot know, but if, as seems the case, and of course Hawass still has to present his case so I am jumping the gun, she is not Nefertiti, the speculation about her potentially being removed from power by assassination recede.

[DreadLordAvatar]

Hawass has zero credibility.

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

26 minutes ago, DreadLordAvatar said:

Hawass has zero credibility.

That's not true. He was falsely accused of crimes only because he was a friend of Hosni Mubarak. 

All charges were dropped and he was offered his old post back but he did not want it at that point. He really is a good guy

[Timothy]

From OP article link:

‘"In October we will be able to announce the discovery of the mummy of Ankhesenamun, Tutankhamun's wife, and her mother, Nefertiti," Hawass told The Independent.’

Let us see what happens in October…

I just feel that Hawass’ claims seem very uncertain while at the same time claiming certainty.

[ObjectReporter]

Hawass is a grade-A, top-shelf a$$hole that nobody should be listening to. This guy needed to retire a decade ago.

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

Oi

[Silver Surfer]

12 hours ago, Earl.Of.Trumps said:

Oi

Oi what? I watched a doco of that guy going into a tomb and just treating it with no respect.. he's not an archaeologist he is an idiot 

Edited September 25, 2022 by Silver Surfer

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

On 9/25/2022 at 7:19 AM, Silver Surfer said:

Oi what? I watched a doco of that guy going into a tomb and just treating it with no respect.. he's not an archaeologist he is an idiot 

Was it a studio op with not-real artifacts in order to make the video?

I mean, you can hate on the guy all you want, but he really is a highly regarded professional. 

[Ell]

So what was announced in October? Nothing?