As published in the Amarna Royal Tombs Project:
Abstract:
Recently published, high-resolution scans of the walls of room J (the Burial Chamber) of Valley of the Kings tomb KV 62 (Tutankhamun) reveal, beneath the plastered surfaces of the painted scenes, distinct linear traces. These are here mapped, discussed, and tentatively identified as the "ghosts" of two hitherto unrecognized doorways. It is argued that these doorways give access to: (1) a still unexplored storage chamber on the west of room J, seemingly contemporary with the stocking of Tutankhamun's burial; and (2) a pre-Tutankhamun continuation of KV 62 towards the north, containing the undisturbed burial of the tomb's original owner -- Nefertiti.From the text:
It begins to look as if Egyptology's traditional reading of KV 62 as a small, private tomb subsequently enlarged to four chambers for Tutankhamun's exclusive use has been very much in error. Rather, the indications are that what we now know as KV 62 represents merely the outermost portion of an extended, corridor-style "tomb-within-a-tomb" -- a considerably larger entity than previously understood, containing sequential burials of (1) an earlier queen who, by her employment of a nest of large sepulchral shrines had achieved full pharaonic status, and (2) a later male king, Tutankhamun himself, each interred within her (innermost) and his (outermost) dedicated burial apartments.Much more at the quite interesting original publication, including images of the suspicious walls.
"Now, about the tomb of Nefertiti," [Omm Sety] continued, sounding a bit hesitant. "I did once ask His Majesty where it was, and he told me. He said, "Why do you want to know?" I said I would like to have it excavated, and he said, "No, you must not. We don't want anything more of this family known." But he did tell me where it was, and I can tell you this much. It's in the Valley of the Kings, and it's quite near to the Tutankhamun tomb. But it's in a place where nobody would ever think of looking for it," she laughed. "And apparently it is still intact..." -- el Zeini and Dees 2007, 265-266
