Archaeologists at the Polytechnic University of Turin scanned the tomb of Tutankhamun, known from the legend of the "curse of the pharaoh," and denied the existence of a hidden room, which was supposed to be located outside the wall of the main room. According to representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, new research will not be carried out. This is reported by Science Alert.
In 2015, British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves suggested that the tomb contains a plastered door that leads to an adjacent room. The results of a radar scan carried out by Japanese specialists in 2016 initially confirmed this hypothesis. It was believed that the hidden room contained the remains of Nefertiti, Tutankhamun's stepmother.
According to Reeves, the tomb was originally intended for Nefertiti, however, since her stepson died unexpectedly at the age of 19, the young pharaoh was buried in it, and the queen's body was subsequently placed in a separate room. However, to confirm the words of the Egyptologist, it was necessary to demolish the wall, which is of archaeological and cultural value. Therefore, the researchers conducted a series of additional scans to make sure the scientist was correct.
However, a team of archaeologists led by Francesco Porcelli did not find an empty space outside the walls of the tomb. They looked for cracks and cavities that indicated the existence of a doorway, and reflective surfaces that could be the walls of a hidden room. The results of the scan, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, are reliable and contradict Reeves' hypothesis. Additional research in the tomb will most likely not be carried out.
The tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered in 1922. It contained a sarcophagus with the pharaoh's mummified body, as well as numerous decorations. For a long time it was believed that his tomb was "cursed", as the press of that time was actively spreading the rumor that the researchers who discovered the burial place had died under mysterious circumstances. However, all the "facts" allegedly testifying in favor of the curse were adjusted for the sake of a newspaper sensation, and most of the participants in the excavations survived to old age.
