One of the most enigmatic Egyptian mummies is KV-35YL or the Younger Lady. DNA tests established she was the mother of Tutankhamun.
The results also revealed she was a full sister to her husband, the KV55 mummy, or Akhenaton, and that they were both the children of Amenhotep III and Tiye. She has a large defect on her face, and chest, and her right arm is missing.
Zahi Hawass considered she had an accident such as a kick from an animal, but some archeologists thought she was murdered with a blow to her face. However, the margins of the defect are too sharp and most likely this missing part is due to the mishandling of the mummy for unknown reasons intentionally or not intentionally.
At some point, priests have hidden many royal mummies from robbers. The most interesting thing about this mummy is her facial 3D reconstruction done by the French artist Élisabeth Daynès which looks a lot like the Berlin bust of Nefertiti.
Nefertiti’s mummy was never found, and the Younger Lady was not Nefertiti. Élisabeth Daynès has created 3D reconstructions of Neanderthals and Tutankhamun and many interesting others.
Further reading and suggested videos :
White-washed replica of King Tut’s mother breaks the internet
Élisabeth Daynès Paleo Art Reconstructions
Hawass, Zahi A.; Saleem, Sahar N. (2016). “D. The mummy of the Younger Lady of KV35”. Scanning the Pharaohs: CT Imaging of the New Kingdom Royal Mummies. American University in Cairo Press. pp. 80–83. ISBN 978-9774166730.
Hawass Z, Gad YZ, Ismail S, Khairat R, Fathalla D, Hasan N, Ahmed A, Elleithy H, Ball M, Gaballah F, Wasef S, Fateen M, Amer H, Gostner P, Selim A, Zink A, Pusch CM (February 2010). “Ancestry and Pathology in King Tutankhamun’s Family”. JAMA. 303 (7): 638–47
Do you like this topic? Find out more!