Researchers seek permits to drill for Nefertiti's tomb in Valley of Kings

A group of researchers has requested permits to carry out new drilling at a site in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, in hopes of finally locating the final resting place of Queen Nefertiti. The request is based on new geophysical surveys suggesting the possible presence of previously undiscovered corridors and chambers near the tomb of Tutankhamun.

It has long been theorized that Tutankhamun, who died at a young age, was not buried in a tomb originally built for him, but rather in an outer chamber that forms part of a larger burial complex. For the past decade, speculation has persisted that this wider complex may in fact belong to Nefertiti, one of ancient Egypt's most enigmatic figures.

The new geophysical surveys underpinning the researchers' request point to specific locations where additional passages and rooms might be found, areas that have not yet been explored. If the permits are granted, it could mark a significant step in the decades-long search to determine Nefertiti's actual burial site.

Nefertiti's mummy and true resting place remain unconfirmed, and the question continues to be one of the great unsolved mysteries of ancient Egyptian archaeology. Previous attempts to find additional chambers near Tutankhamun's tomb have not produced conclusive results, but the latest geophysical data has given researchers renewed grounds for hope about pinpointing where to dig next.