Egypt’s 'Indiana Jones' says new theory on King Tut’s tomb is wrong - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East:
Extract from an interview with Zahi Hawass
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Al-Monitor: What is your take on the recent discovery announced by the Ministry of Antiquities concerning the possibility of two additional chambers in King Tut’s tomb?
Hawass: I have evidence to disprove British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves’ theory about a hidden chamber containing Nefertiti’s remains behind Tutankhamun’s resting place. In theory, Nefertiti could not have been buried in the Valley of Kings, as she used to worship King Tut. The High Priests of Amun would not have allowed it. The radar Reeves used to prove his theory did not offer conclusive results, and in 2009, Reeves used the same radar to prove the existence of a tomb in front of Tutankhamun’s. Later on, excavation results showed that it was only a fissure in the rock formation. In order to validate his latest theory, Reeves must dig through the northern wall of King Tut’s tomb, and this would cause the whole tomb to collapse.
Al-Monitor: If the predictions are true and there are additional chambers, what impact would this have on Egypt’s tourism sector?
Hawass: There is no way to predict the outcome of such a discovery as long as we are speaking theoretically. Once the theory is proven, we can then speak of an outcome for tourism in Egypt.
Al-Monitor: If the theory is proven false, how would this harm Egypt and Egyptian archaeologists’ reputation?
Hawass: In such case, Egypt’s credibility would be compromised around the world. In this respect, I’ve presented the minister with a proposal consisting of appointing a committee of six Egyptian and foreign archaeologists to discuss the theory with Reeves and assess the radar’s results by comparing them to another digital radar’s findings. The committee will then present its verdict on Reeves’ theory. After that, we can announce the first steps toward a scientific discovery.
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