Has Nefertiti's tomb been found?

On Saturday, Egypt's antiquities minister said experts were "90 percent" sure that they had uncovered a hidden chamber in Tutankhamun's tomb that might contain the remains of Queen Nefertiti.

Nicholas Reeves, a British archaeologist at the University of Arizona, said during a news conference that data would be sent to Japan for further study.

Experts have long speculated that Nefertiti was in fact the mother of Ancient Egyptian ruler Tutankhamun, better known as King Tut. Nefertiti, whose much-touted beauty was captured in a famous bust currently on display in a Berlin museum, died in the 14th century B.C.

'The biggest discovery ever made'

Reeves published evidence back in August pointing to the discovery of so-called "ghost doors" in King Tut's tomb, found after detailed scans were made of the tomb's walls.

In the report, he claimed that there was a chamber adjoined to the north of the tomb containing the resting place of Nefertiti.

Speaking to "The Economist," Reeves said that, if it were indeed true that the tomb contained the queen's burial chamber, it would be "potentially the biggest archaeological discovery ever made."

Some archaeologists believe King Tut's mother was a woman known only as the "Younger Lady," whose mummy was was discovered in the Valley of the Kings back in 1898. Others, including Reeves, continue to maintain that Nefertiti was the boy-king's mother.

blc/jlw (Reuters, AFP)