British Express: Tutankhamun's mask may have been Nefertiti’s

CAIRO – 15 July 2021: Tutankhamun is the focus of Egyptian antiquities’ researchers, who have tried, since the discovery of his tomb by Howard Carter in 1922, to decipher the mystery surrounding the young king's life and death.

Many questions related to Tutankhamun remained the focus of archaeologists, such as the issue of his death, and whether his father was Akhenaten and his mother Nefertiti, and the date he ascended to the throne.

The latest issues that have been raised about Tutankhamun were related to his famous golden mask, which is currently displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, and is considered by many to be the most famous treasure in the world.

The Egyptologist, Professor Joan Fletcher, in his book "Valley of the Kings - The Egyptian Golden Age", dealt with an important element in the ear of the pharaoh, according to Sky News, where the British newspaper "Express" quoted Fletcher as saying: “Tutankhamun's mask is an example of ancient Egypt, very familiar, but like many of its treasures, it holds a great secret. I visited Oxford University's Griffith Institute to examine the most detailed records of his burial, and photographs taken by Carter's photographer at every stage of the 10-year excavation. The pharaoh's mask caught my eye as a hitherto overlooked feature:  pierced ears.”

He further explained, "Research indicates that Tutankhamun did not wear earrings after his childhood. So when he died at the age of twenty, he was not supposed to be depicted with pierced ears. The mask may have been made for another pharaoh or an important figure, not Tutankhamun. The mask was not made for an adult male pharaoh. By comparing the gold used in the manufacture of the face, it turns out that it is different from that used in the rest of the parts, and there is a visible welding line on the mask."

Fletcher concluded his "theory" by saying: "The features of Tutankhamun's face were installed on the mask of a previous pharaoh or a pharaoh that may have been Nefertiti, due to the presence of the pierced ears."