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Something is hiding behind the walls of King Tut’s tomb and it 'could be the discovery of the century'

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King Tut burial mask

There's something hiding behind the walls of King Tutankahmen's ancient tomb.

Today, the Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Mamdouh el-Damaty announced that thermal and radar scans of the tomb of King Tutankhamen have revealed that it hides at least two secret rooms, according to National Geographic.

The rooms are located behind the north and west walls of the king's 3,300-year-old burial chamber — and researchers say they may contain untouched artifacts that have eluded Egyptologists and tomb raiders alike.

Even more exciting is that the rooms might be the burial place of Queen Nefertiti, one of the most powerful female rulers of ancient Egypt.

The scans suggest that the objects seem to be both metal and organic material. There may even be a mummy concealed behind what British archaeologist Nicolas Reeves has called "ghost doors."

Reeves first announced the presence of these doors last year, which he told National Geographic were plastered and painted over.

His announcement was initially met with skepticism, but new radar scans by Japanese researcher Hirokatsu Watanabe indicate that Reeves may have been right all along.

Rethinking King Tutankhamen

This wouldn't be the first major twist in recent years to our understanding of King Tut's tomb: Egyptologists have been reassessing their thinking for awhile.

There are some indications that his famed death mask, and perhaps even the tomb itself, were originally intended for a lower-status member of the royal family — maybe a woman — but repurposed for Tut when he died at age 19, according to the BBC.

pyramid tomb hieroglyphics valley of the kinds reuters

Queen Nefertiti, who ruled Egypt in the 14th century BC, and her relationship to Tut is also gaining more attention. The biggest mystery surrounds her fate: Nefertiti disappears from all records just 12 years after Tut (her husband) assumed the title of pharaoh.

"When we find Nefertiti, I think it will be more important that the discovery of King Tutankhamun himself,"el-Damaty told CNN.

Reeves and Watanabe say the next step is to figure out how to excavate and explore the secret rooms without damaging the outer chambers.

Whatever lurks behind the walls, it's "very important for Egyptian history and for all of the world," el-Damaty told the Associated Press. "[I]t could be the discovery of the century."

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