(by guest blogger Ken Myers)
Often referred to as one of the most
beautiful women in ancient history, the Queen Nefertiti ruled alongside her
husband, Pharaoh Akhenaten, for a little more than a decade until she
mysteriously vanished. Without tales of her demise, she was simply left out of
the sacred texts without a single inscription bearing what had happened to this
prominent figurehead in Ancient Egypt. What truly had happened to this once
great and powerful Queen may never be discovered.
1. Birthright
The exact lineage of Nefertiti is currently unknown, although there are many theories that have some basis behind who she was and where she truly came from. Commonly, she is referred to the daughter of the Pharaoh Ay, who ruled briefly 11 years after the demise of Akhenaten. Some speculate she was a Mitanni Princess as Amenhotep III was in direct communication with the Mitanni people. Others believe that she is the sister of the Pharaoh Akhenaten whom she married and became co-regent. Unfortunately, there is no real way to tell for certainty if there is any fact in these matters. Until her mummified remains are found and tested for trace DNA, these theories will be nothing more than that based on circumstantial evidence.
The exact lineage of Nefertiti is currently unknown, although there are many theories that have some basis behind who she was and where she truly came from. Commonly, she is referred to the daughter of the Pharaoh Ay, who ruled briefly 11 years after the demise of Akhenaten. Some speculate she was a Mitanni Princess as Amenhotep III was in direct communication with the Mitanni people. Others believe that she is the sister of the Pharaoh Akhenaten whom she married and became co-regent. Unfortunately, there is no real way to tell for certainty if there is any fact in these matters. Until her mummified remains are found and tested for trace DNA, these theories will be nothing more than that based on circumstantial evidence.