Nefertiti was not only the Queen, she was revered as a goddess. The most famous and perhaps the most beautiful of the wives of the Egyptian pharaohs lived with her Royal spouse in a huge luxurious Palace on the East Bank of the Nile. It seemed that she had to have the same luxury apartments and after death. However, all signs of the Royal position after her death over 3300 years ago disappeared. In February 2002 from Egypt returned group of the British scientists from the University of York. After data processing archaeologist Joanne Fletcher made a sensational statement - found the mummy of Nefertiti.

Near the modern Luxor is a place known to any student. Pharaoh tombs in the Valley of the kings, the huge necropolis of the rulers of Ancient Egypt, there were so many that they, for simplicity, just assigned serial numbers starting from the first tomb of the Pharaoh Ramses VI, is known from the ancient times, to the last, I - tomb of Tutankhamun, was found in 1922

One of the most mysterious tombs of well over one hundred years is the crypt with the number 35. This tomb, located a little away from the others, in the rock with steep walls, opened in 1898 by the famous French archaeologist Victor lore. Tomb 35 belonged to Pharaoh Amenhotep II, who died on the 26th year of his reign approximately 1401 BC

In the crypt leads carved in the rock steep stairs. Then you need to walk along the narrow bridge over the seemingly bottomless in the dim light of the lanterns ritual well. Right behind the passage turns at a right angle to the left and ends in a large room. Behind him is a beautiful hall, a low vault which is supported by six columns and the walls are painted with images of the Pharaoh and the gods and funerary texts.

The bust of Nefertiti and her alleged mummy

In this room Victor lore over a hundred years ago and found the sarcophagus of Amenhotep II. Downstairs, the archaeologist found that after some time after the death of the Pharaoh (later found that this happened about 1057 BC) the tomb was opened and used as a repository for mummies who, for one reason or another, have lost their tombs.

A big room, preceding the crypt, French archaeologist found a mummy in the wreckage of a boat, and in a small room near the South-Western corner rooms - nine dried phone Some were buried in coffins, others were just lying on the dusty floor.

In the next room Lloret saw three mummies - two women and a boy, lying among the scraps of the jungle. Over time, the Egyptologists have established the names of nine mummies. It was the Pharaoh Tuthmosis IV, Amenhotep III, SETI II, Merneptah, Siptah, Ramzesa IV, V and VI, and may the woman-Pharaoh Tausert. They all, together with his landlord" Amenhotep II and Pharaoh Setnaht lying in the boat, after many adventures ended in the Museum. Three same mysterious mummies, called lore "old woman", "young woman" and "boy", was laid with bricks.

However, before that, in 1907, they were examined, described and photographed Aussie Grafton Elliot Smith, Professor of anatomy at the University of Cairo, which constituted his famous catalogue "Royal mummies", which was published in 1912, Smith suggested that lay in the center of the boy was the son of Amenhotep II, Prince Webinsta. To the left was the mummy old (although the definition of "elderly" is very relative, because in Egypt fifty people were considered very old men) women. A quarter of a century ago, American scientists have compared her hair was found in the tomb of Tutankhamen a lock of hair of the Queen of the Party. It turned out that the hair belonged to one and the same person.

Ment, the wife of Amenhotep III, the mother of Akhenaten and grandmother of king Tutankhamun, a well - known personality in the history of Ancient Egypt. During life of the Queen began the construction of a huge temple in Luxor, her husband was one of the greatest pharaohs, in which Board Ancient Egypt reached almost a higher power.

Amenhotep III was married to the Party, when they both went thirteenth year. Over time, the chief's wife began to play a prominent role in the political life of the country, but also became the acknowledged beauty. Egyptian painters gave goddesses her features, and the famous dress, closely fitting waist and hips, made a Visit to one of the most famous women of fashion in history.

Near to mummy lying on the right, was found missing below the shoulder, the right hand. The head of the mummy was clean-shaven, and remaining on the face traces of cruel beatings gave him a terrible expression seemed mummy sneers at.

In the early 1990's. at that time the student of the archaeological Department Joanne Fletcher, fascinated by ancient Egypt still in high school, beginning a serious research work. At the University she decided to devote his life to studying... hair and wigs worn in ancient Egypt and Rome.

While working on his doctoral dissertation Handbook Johanna was catalogue Smith. Her interest unidentified mummies from 35th tombs and especially a piece of wig that Smith found about mummy of a young woman.

Joanne Fletcher, who became one of the most experienced specialists in the hair of the ancient Egyptians, quickly established that the wig belonged to the period of the eighteenth dynasty, there was made much later reign of Amenhotep II.

Intrigued by Johanna went to Cairo. Carefully, noticing wig, Fletcher came to the conclusion that this was the so-called Nubian wig relating to the period of the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaten and his son Tutankhamen. Only in this era of noble Egyptian women wore Nubian wigs, hair which is beautifully surrounded the face on both sides and reached her shoulders.

Returning home, Joanne Fletcher turned again to the directory Smith. In his description, it drew attention to another interesting detail. In the left lobe of the ear of a young woman (her right ear was missing) had two holes. Guess Joanna that she lived during the reign of Akhenaten, was reaffirmed, as only with it, women wore in the ears of two earrings.

As an elderly woman and the boy with his hands was all right, Joanna suggested that torn hand, slightly bent at the elbow, belonged to a mysterious stranger.

Knowing the approximate years of the life of a young woman, Joanna made another bold assumption. She believes that in a side room of the tomb of Amenhotep II was Queen Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten, the step-mother and mother-in-law of king Tutankhamun.

In the Berlin Museum since the 1920s, is stored magnificent bust of Nefertiti, was found in 1912 by German archeologist Ludwig Borchardt in the workshop of ancient Egyptian sculptor Thutmose. Thutmosis has depicted a woman, since has become the standard of beauty, with a very long neck, perfect face, high cheekbones and a fine nose.

Joanna understood that it is necessary to find the physical similarities between bust and the mummy, but to do so, given the poor state of the latter, it proved difficult. The truth in favor of the theory Fletcher spoke very thin and long neck mummy, dent on the forehead from armband worn by the Queen, and two punctures in my ears. Two earrings in the ears wore only Nefertiti and one of her six daughters.

Before you publish your bold theory, Joanna, of course, wanted to look at the mummy. Permission to visit the tomb of Amenhotep the Egyptian government has given in the past year alone. In June Fletcher saw three mysterious mummies in the tomb of Amenhotep II, and in February this year she returned to the Valley of the kings is not one, but several scientists, armed with the most modern equipment.

Appearance Nefertiti fully corresponded to its name, meaning "beauty". Parents Nefertiti is unknown, although some historians believe that her father was the chief Minister at the court of king Tutankhamun and later even took the throne. Nefertiti chose in the main wives young Amenhotep IV (who then the name Akhenaten), who became Pharaoh about 1351 BC, when she was twelve.

The Queen had almost the same power as a spouse, and with it rules the country. But in the twelfth year of seventeen year reign of Akhenaten name Nefertiti suddenly disappeared from the official documents, and was cited her eldest daughter Meritant. According to one version, Nefertiti has got in disgrace and has been banished from the court or died. However, no evidence of her death there. As for opals, I think that this is unlikely. On numerous frescoes Akhenaten and Nefertiti depicted loving companions.

More logical another assumption - five years before the death of Akhenaten made the wife suprafetele. Supporters of this theory point to the strange changes that happened to Pharaoh in the end of the Board. Akhenaten became more and more like... a woman with a crown on his head.

In addition, archaeologists found several frescoes, which Nefertiti depicted in the Royal regalia. In typical pharaohs way she executed criminals, grabbing them with one hand in her hair and the other occupying a dagger.

After the death of Akhenaten Egypt entered a period of unrest. Some historians believe that the throne, or rather was planted stepmother Nefertiti nine-year-old son of Akhenaten from second wife Tutankhamen, others believe that three years after her husband's death the country to the rules Nefertiti herself.

This is not surprising. In Ancient Egypt women had equal rights with men. They traded, fought, owned the property and even ruled in Egyptian history knows the names of at least six women-pharaohs.
<br />After the death of Nefertiti, most likely, was honorably buried in the family vault, which was built by the husband. However, with the return to polytheism tomb was robbed. Scientists suggest that the priests had saved mummy, but their fate is almost three and a half millennia remained unknown. In the opinion of bioarcheology don Brothwell, damage mummy of a young woman so serious that it could not happen accidentally. It is likely that the corpse hated the Queen of them struck the mad crowd of fans.

Version Johanna Fletcher, like most other bold theories, many opponents. For example, Zahi Hawass, head of the Ministry of antiquities of Egypt, believes that there is no similarity between the mummies of the pharaohs and their images can not be, because the Egyptian painters much prettified their rulers and their wives. As for the folded hands, it could lead to such a situation during the transfer of the mummy from one tomb in another.

Of course, after so many years to establish the identity of a young woman from the tomb of Amenhotep II with absolute guarantee without chemical analysis and DNA impossible. Unfortunately, the Egyptian authorities to ensure that any manipulation of the mummies is strictly prohibited.