62, Kings' Valley

62, Kings Valley, Luxor, Egypt.  That is the official  residential address for the mortal remains of  Emperor   Tutankhamun.  His death and subsequent mummification happened in 1322-1323 BC.  he was buried inside this cave with full state honours. The tomb   was subsequently  discovered  in 1922-23, that is roughly 3300 years later .

Tomb of Tutankhamun
courtesy: wikipedia

       

The mummy has  remained  the centre of attraction since then. It  was subjected to a variety of  scientific investigations, physical , chemical and biological  almost immediately. This process  continued over the years with renewed interest as and when  more sophisticated tools became available. With the advent of genetic engineering and DNA finger printing,  King Tutankhamun Family Project was initiated in 2007. This endeavour included  extensive and thorough  anthropological, radiological, and genetic studies  on a total of 11 royal mummies. Tutankhamun's family tree spanning 5 generations was mapped.   By now  Tutankhamun's mummy seems to have yielded  most of the physical, chemical and biological secrets. 

Lay out of Tut's Tomb Courtesy: wikipedia

But not everyone is  happy and satisfied as yet. Egyptologists, historians and archeologists have been  intrigued from the very beginning. Because  the tomb  seemed to be  unusually small  and crammed, totally unfit for an emperor of Tut's stature.    Speculations were aplenty, and  the most popular one was  that Tut's tomb  could actually be the annexe of another  hitherto undiscovered tomb, most probably that of Queen Nefertiti.  Initial investigations however didn't yield promising results. 

During the period 2015-18 several  Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys  conducted in and around the tomb.    GPR is the acronym for Ground Penetrating Radar , a noninvasive scanning tool. This technique allows us to see what lies beneath or behind impenetrable obstructions/barriers, much like the X-ray scanning of luggages at the airport.   But  there are fundamental differences. X-ray scanning uses high energy ionizing electromagnetic radiation that passes through objects  and creates a two dimensional  shadowgram  of objects within.  GPR on the other hand uses much  safer non-ionizing radiowaves  and records the  reflected wave pattern.  The radargrams (if we may say so) can indicate  internal structures, conduits, buried objects, voids etc.  The GPR device looks more like a lawn mower and is  rolled over the barrier surface.   GPR with a frequency of 100MHz can probe  upto  a depth of  40+ meters in dry  soils, and up to 100+ meters  in ice deposits.  Likewise   Microgravity Surveys and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT)  are two other non-invasive techniques  extensively used by geologists,  engineers and archeologists to generate  2D or 3D images of the Earth's subsurface.  The first one monitors minute  variations in density  and the second  as the name suggests measures  electrical resistivity.     All the three techniques were deployed to inspect  the walls and floors of  Tut's tomb.  

The composite 3D images that have  emerged from these investigations  though  not  conclusive,  are strongly suggestive of rectangular structures or additional chambers beyond the northern wall.   Nicholas Reeves, a British archaeologist and ardent Egyptologist  is convinced  that the west wall of  Tut's burial chamber  hides a doorway  to  a long corridor   leading to another burial chamber behind the north wall which  could be  that of  Queen Nefertiti.  Since seeing is believing,  a request is pending with  Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, for permission  to drill small holes (7–8 cm in diameter) at strategic points and insert a small device equipped with a 360-degree camera to examine what lies behind. 

 TAILPIECE:

Golden funerary mask of Tut
Courtesy:wikipedia

Mummy of Tutankhamun
courtesy: wikipedia

After extensive embalming with sacred unguents, viscous resins,  linseed oils and perfumes,  Tutankhamun's mummified body was placed inside the innermost of three nested  solid gold  coffins.  The innermost was  made of  110 kg solid gold and the outermost funerary gold  mask weighed  10 kg  decorated with precious stones. But now  stripped off all that glory and grandeur,  the blackened skeleton lies naked inside a climate-controlled, vacuum-sealed glass case  for millions of visitors to gaze upon.   Heart wrenching irony indeed. 

REFERENCES:

1. Biomolecular analyses enable new insights into ancient Egyptian embalming

2. Ancestry and pathology in King Tutankhamun's family

3. Fresh evidence for hidden chambers at Tutankhamun’s tomb

4. Exclusive Photos: Search Resumes for Hidden Chambers In King Tut's Tomb