TUTANKHAMUN KV 62 THE NORTH WALL PART 2:
FINDING NEFERTITI
Dr. M. Traugott Huber, Ägyptologie-Forum Zürich Where is Nefertiti? She is one of ancient Egypt’s most famous queens, yet details of her burial, and the whereabouts of her mummy, have proved elusive. Until now. In Part 1 of this article (NILE #14, June–July 2018), Traugott Huber revealed that the painted scenes in Tutankhamun’s tomb (KV 62) documented instead the amazing career of Nefertiti— first queen, and then pharaoh. Now in Part 2, he investigates the evidence for Nefertiti’s burial in KV 62, her relationship with the ephemeral Smenkhkare, the circumstances of her death, and, finally, the whereabouts of Nefertiti’s mummy!
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SCENE 2
SCENE 1
The royal wedding of the young, non-royal Nefertiti with King Amenhotep IV (the future Akhenaten).
The young Tutankhaten “Opens the Mouth” of his predecessor: the mummified Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten (Nefertiti).
The new interpretation of the North Wall in KV 62, putting Nefertiti in the starring role, not Tutankhamun.
THE STORY SO FAR Let’s recap. From Part 1 (NILE #14, June–July 2018) we can propose the following about the North Wall in the Burial
Chamber of KV 62: 1
IT’S ALL ABOUT NEFERTITI
• Nefertiti is prominently illustrated in all three scenes on the North Wall of KV 62. The trilogy on the North Wall illustrates her major achievements in life and the afterlife, or, in modern terms, the most stunning career of an ambitious woman of modest origins. • The important central scene (#2) illustrates the starting point: the wedding of a beautiful, but non-royal girl to the young Pharaoh Amenhotep IV. Thus, Nefertiti became queen. • The right-hand scene (#1) illustrates her major achievement in the first life, namely the kingship of Egypt with all her royal insignia. The next Horus of Egypt (young Tutankhaten) performs the “Opening of the Mouth”: a rebirth ceremony that restores Nefertiti’s senses and allows her to partake of offerings. • The leftmost scene (#3) illustrates Nefertiti’s ultimate achievement in the afterlife. She is welcomed by the divine Akhenaten and the androgynous god Aten. She completes the divine Amarna Triad for eternity. • 2
NEFERTITI WAS BURIED HERE
Nefertiti is the preeminent person on the North Wall. She is always depicted as the person on the left. KV 62 undoubtedly was once intended to be Nefertiti’s burial place. It is possible that she devised the North Wall herself, or at least 40
discussed its features with her chief architect. 3
THE DECORATIONS WERE ALTERED
Clear evidence exists that the text and the cartouches were originally very different from what is visible today. Characters from an earlier text and traces of a previous cartouche are still recognisable. Although we may easily fill in the original names to the cartouches, we have no clue regarding the actual original text, which was perhaps partially erased but definitely overpainted in yellow. Clear evidence exists that the ka-symbol was not part of the original illustration, but we currently have no clue whether the head was originally adorned with the golden sun disk. 4
AMARNA ELEMENTS WERE REPLACED
Some nine years after the death of Nefertiti, the original meaning and the identity of the persons on the North Wall were ingeniously transformed. The simple addition of a ka-symbol ( ) to the Aten figure, and the alteration of the text transformed the characteristic Amarna-iconography into traditional canon, known long before and long after the short-lived times of Nefertiti and Akhenaten. In a nutshell: • (Scene #1) Nefertiti receiving the Opening of the Mouth from Tutankhaten became Tutankhamun having the ritual performed by Ay. • (Scene #2) Nefertiti and Akhenaten were transformed into the goddess Nut and Tutankhamun. • (Scene #3) The Osiris Nefertiti became simply Osiris. Aten became Tutankhamun’s ka, and Akhenaten was
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NILE #17 | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019
© FACTUM FOUNDATION FOR DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN CONSERVATION/ EGYPTIAN MINISTRY OF STATE FOR ANTIQUITIES
SCENE 3 The Amarna Triad: Nefertiti (as Osiris) welcomed by the divine Akhenaten (centre) and the androgynous god Aten. She has achieved divinity.
