Queen Nefertiti
Ancient History
Ms. Ripley
Mystery of Mummies
Mummy lays – why was it cursed
1912- Egyptian desert – German archaeologists find a bust of a queen. It’s an
icon over. Her life remains a mystery.
Dr. Joanna Fletcher is trying to prove that it is Nefertiti.
Largest expedition of archaeology quest in 25 years. A team of experts wants
the truth thought to be Nefertiti.
Severed arm – hallmark of a pharaoh? Why does the mummy have a stab wound
in her side? Re-create her death.
What did she really look like? Was she the beauty portrayed by her bust?
Science will re-create her face. Where does the mummy story start? The trail
begins in the valley of kings. Several centuries – mummy was defiled by grave
robbers – rank and power traces were taken. Even the wig from her head. The
ultimate sacrilege – her face was smashed – denying her entrance to the
afterlife – a fate worse then death. They left behind a clue that Fletcher picks
up on.
She’s an expert – ancient Egyptian hair – a rare field. 13 years ago – Cairo
museum – ancient wig was there.
A wig is like a fingerprint. Nubian wig – only worn 1400-1300BC. Nefertiti wore
a wig just like this one. Could the wig in the museum be hers?
In hopes of finding Nefertiti – she has traced down the story of the wig.
Frenchman – excavating a tomb that had been sealed for thousands of years.
He found 3 anonymous mummies. One seemed to be mutilated – and he found a
wig beside it. The mummy still lies in the valley of kings.
A century after the Frenchman – she heads for the tomb. 400 miles south of
Cairo. In the burial ground of the pharaoh. It’s very hot there. 5 centuries –
all of Egypt’s kings were buried here – it’s honeycombed with tombs.
Is this going to be one of the greatest discoveries since King Tut’s tomb?
The Tomb
Tomb called KV35 – one of the deepest tombs in the valley – it contains 4 side
chambers. One of them contains the lost mummies. Drainage pit – deadly trap
for tomb robbers.
One chamber was walled up – burial chamber. It remains sealed.
Mummies have magic – turns the eyes of every child and adult. The tomb can’t
be opened without a special scientist. Behind the wall – 3 mummies are in the
tomb. All 3 mummies are unwrapped – their names would have been written on
the wrappings.
One is an old woman, young man and the other one might be Queen Neferititi.
She hasn’t even told the scientist who she thinks might be the other one.
Can she find enough evidence to prove her theories?
Taped from the discovery channel
Queen Nefertiti
Ancient History
Ms. Ripley
Evidence
Her neck is long- tight fitting around her neck. No natural hair.
Double ear piercings. Left ear. No other examples.
Damage to the mouth. After death – someone hated this woman so much they
wanted to smash her face in with a brute instrument.
All depictions of her after death in photos were destroyed or mutilated.
Jewellery was never placed around the mouth area.
They could be her in-laws – brother and mother. They are protecting him perhaps
– that’s why they were left together – an intriguing clue. These are royal family
members.
Archaeological Odyssey
She has to do scientific tests which are not frequently allowed.
She has inspected the mummy. She is waiting for permission to scientifically
examine the mummy. West bank of the Nile – Malcutta – she goes here. In once
a lavish palace – she thinks that Neferititi spent her childhood here.
She finds wall paintings.
Egyptologist (her label)
It was at its height the most spectacular palace (compound) the greatest in
Egypt. One of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs’s lived here. Queen Tai and Neferetti’s
bond – might explain why they were buried together. And the man that lay
between them
Totmoses dies young. Next in line to rule Egypt.
Tension grows with the high priests.
Traditional elite – very set in their ways and very rich. Royal couple – take the
fight to the temple of Carnac.
Nefertiti plays a leading role –
Carnac was built up over generations – each pharaoh was asked to dedicate more
temples.
In search of clues – Joanne – uses a secret passage – pylon – traditional gate
town. Very narrow hallways (like a catacomb).
Nefertiti’s Power and Independence
Earthquake reveals the pyramids building blocks. Searching for clues in
Nefertiti’s sun god religion she gets to look at the blocks. The carvings capture
the snap shot of a revolution.
Nefertiti – becomes the most powerful woman in the world. Her husband sets off
into the desert. Her quest to re-create Nefertiti’s life. 200 miles – Amana is
the place name. Aknaghtun picked the spot. He found it 3000 years ago – the
site doesn’t look much different today then way back then! Where the pharaoh is
– so is the work. Masons and craftsmen come to build the new city. Opportunists
Taped from the discovery channel
Queen Nefertiti
Ancient History
Ms. Ripley
come to exploit the new frontier. Armana is almost completed the king and queen
return to thieves (place). Built within a few years – one of the first planned
settlements in history.
The royal couple comes to claim their 50000 subjects!
Poised to create a new Egypt and the country is on the brink of a new upheaval.
Replaced their gods within themselves – you would have to worship the royal
family and they would turn around and tell the gods.
In Armana – Joanne looks for clues to Nefertiti’s life. Art on walls – kids playing,
loving couple, queen at the king’s side, art style is very natural – more so – most
famous image ever made – the BUST.
Nobleman’s tomb – scrutinize paintings for clues on her life. Carvings on the
walls, 2 chariot riders – hieroglyphs. Feature on the left – Nefertiti driving her
own chariot. Queen competing with the king – unthinkable for that time. She was
a trend setter. Court – she played a significant role in the court – and she was
described as an equal and assumed the duties of the pharaoh himself.
A royal couple surrounded by many military men
Did the paintings hide what was really going on? Why did they need so many
military men at their side? They were not well liked.
Armana was built on dreams and propaganda.
Their supposed ideal lifestyle might not have been that good.
Armana is a citadel – surrounded by walls.
First target – the priests. To pay for Armana – plunder the temples of Carnac.
Thousands of priests are thrown out of office. Shockwave is across Egypt. The
traditional heart of each community was the temple. What began as a utopia – old
gods are swept away – violence. They create a crisis of faith in Egypt. Taken
away belief system – having not given them anything real in replace of that.
Egypt lurching into social disorder and economic crisis.
Egypt’s borders go unguarded – a country sliding towards catrosphe.
No matter the cost this royal couple goes ahead. Nefertiti – her husband was
such a terrible politician.
Kia gives him a son, Nefertiti – gives him a baby girl. Kia disappears and people
think that Nefertiti gets rid of her.
Profile of what Nefertiti is like. Cold and aloof person, and manipulate people
around her. Manipulate situations – response to the crisis – year 12 of
Aknaughtun’s reign – public situation – to confirm to all that all is well.
The sight that shocks. She sits at his side as a co-equal and she is the most
powerful woman on earth.
Plague
Spreads through the royal palace. Kills one of Nefertiti’s beloved daughters.
Year 14 Nefertiti vanishes – another man seems to have replaced her – became
Egypt’s next pharaoh.
Taped from the discovery channel
Queen Nefertiti
Ancient History
Ms. Ripley
Skeleton in the Cairo museum might be him – Mankara – could be another name
for Nefertiti.
Science
Using computers to graphically enhance her face. Will we see what she really
looks like?
22 porters to take equipment down to tomb KV35. The wall comes down. Will
the tests prove her right or wrong?
To prevent bias – the scientists know nothing of Joanne’s suspicions.
X-rays – gender – female.
Nefer beads – one was found on her – maybe when she was grave robbed – they
could have been dropped. Royal mummy – jewerley elements within the
mummification materials.
Is this the skull of ancient Egypt’s most beautiful woman?
She still has her brain – at her time – brain was kept. Snowflake effect – Very
fine quality of embalming. Nefertiti came from the 18th dynasty. Coincidence?
Wisdom teeth – Not developed – late teens to early adult. Vertebrae and spine
tells her age but not as well. Shadow of doubt.
She is not a young woman – she gave birth to 6 children. She would have at least
been in her mid to late twenties.
This mummy has been walled up in this tomb for 3000 years.
Long bones had fused. Greater maturity – aged 25-30.
Cut on her face – Joanne had assumed that the blunt trauma to her face must
have been b/c of robbers. But the scientist thinks that it might have been
earlier.
12 cm gash across her ribcage. Wounds ask questions about her fate.
Lady x was more than a queen – wrappings torn from the body by grave robbers.
The missing arm is found – bent right arm – symbol of a pharaoh. Supports the
theory that she took this arm from her husband. Queens have the left and kings
have the right. If this right arm belongs to lady x – she had incredible power in
her life.
Research into their lives
Joanne has to prove that the husband died before Queen Nefertiti.
The tomb that is supposed to be for Nefertiti – rough stages – doesn’t think she
was buried there. But her husband was. Aknaughton’s burial chamber.
Sarcophagus was with the mummified body inside it. Stood where the funeral
would have been
Cairo museum – protecting pose as a goddess. Only she can protect him in the
afterlife. Queen became a pharaoh in her own right. Her husband’s death
signalled the end of the revolution.
Taped from the discovery channel
Queen Nefertiti
Ancient History
Ms. Ripley
To save Egypt she turned her back on everything that was dear – even her
religion.
Joanne has sent a team to x-ray the mummy that she believes is Nefertiti.
Team to re-create her face. Team from Britain.
Queen Nefertiti – for her dynasty to survive – order had to be restored.
Chaos was not easily forgotten.
She may have reigned for a year after his death. Could it have been foul play?
They stab pigs – one in a fresh fleshed pig and one in a dry fleshed pig
Dry pig – doesn’t work, similar wounds in the fresh pig
So it was before the time of death or at death or very soon after death
Wound to the rib – before death
They made lots of enemies in their lives
Whether she was murdered we will never know. Someone went to a lot of
trouble to erase her
Someone might have ripped off the right arm and replaced it with another arm
to make sure that she would not be found
The arm is not hers! Bent right arm – who does it belong to?
For her – completed shaven head, ear piercing, right arm, age. Rather compelling
argument that it is Nefertiti.
Scientists say that they need more years to see whether or not it is her.
Third mummy – May or not be Queen Nefertiti. Dr. Joanne Fletcher has
assembled the best case now possible. Body of evidence that is very strong. Her
quest to identify the lost mummy is coming to an end. There is one clue left. Her
reconstructed face. Will the reconstructed face look like the bust of Nefertiti?
Scientists work on her face – could the mummy’s face be Nefertiti?
70 days after her death – her mummification is complete and spells will protect
the body for all eternity. She is ready to meet her god. Child bride, Queen,
living goddess and pharaoh, revolutionary who tried to change Egypt that may
have led to her death.
Was she buried in the valley of kings? And her burial was overseen by her step
son King Tut? The heir to her throne.
Their mother’s mortal remains would be violated. The unforgiving priests, the
men she tried to destroy may have wanted retribution. In Carnac the buildings
that she tried to build were torn down, and vanished.
Armana was blocked and dismantled.
Tomb KV35 – never meant to be found. They have been missing and misidentified
for 3000 years. 18th dynasty and a royal family. We have given back a name that
has been maliced for so long. The investigation is over and returns to England to
see if the last piece of the puzzle will fall in place
Will the artwork of her face look like Queen Nefertiti?
The face does look like the bust – deeply symbolic moment for Joanne. The
likeness is uncanny – to that of the bust.
Taped from the discovery channel
Queen Nefertiti
Ancient History
Ms. Ripley
She believes that she has found Nefertiti.
But what about those others that don’t think the same?
Is Joanne correct?
The curse of Nefertiti has been lifted after 3000 years.
Nefertiti Returns
Trials of a lost soul in the Egyptian book of the dead.
For when a soul recovers its name it’s once again considered whole. It can speak
to the gods and restored to its rightful place in the afterlife.
Returning to the land it once knew. It can now complete its journey to eternity.
Has Nefertiti risen again?
Hail to you oh gods, for now I know my name. For every evil I did, let Atum
protect me and I’ll enter eternity.
Taped from the discovery channel