Researchers: Tomb of King Tutankhamun’s Wife May Have Been Discovered

Statues of a young Tutankhamun and his consort Ankesenamun at Luxor Temple, Luxor, Egypt. Creative Commons

The wife of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, known as King Tut, has always been a mystery.

But a tomb that may have belonged to her was recently discovered in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, archaeologists said.

Archaeologist Zahi Hawass told LiveScience that the tomb was discovered in the tomb of Pharaoh Ay, and now, Hawass’s team plans to excavate the area. “We are sure there is a tomb there, but we do not know for sure to whom it belongs,” Hawass told LiveScience.

The sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun, known as the "Child Pharaoh," remains empty in its burial chamber after the mummy was placed in a glass urn. Cris Bouroncle/AFP/GettyImages

Hawass said it might have belonged to Ankhesenamun, who married Ay after King Tut’s death. She was also Tutankhamun’s half sister.

Explaining the finding to LiveScience, he said that there are deposit sites, or “caches or holes in the ground that were filled with votive objects such as pottery vessels, food remains, and other tools as a sign that a tomb construction is being initiated.”

A small group of tourists walks toward the entrance to a tomb in The Valley of the Kings on Oct. 23, 2013, in Luxor, Egypt. Ed Giles/Getty Images

The golden mask of King Tutankhamun. Merce/Flickr

The golden sarcophagus of King Tutankhamun in his burial chamber in the Valley of the Kings, close to Luxor, 310 miles south of Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 28, 2015. Scans in King Tutankhamun's tomb point to a hidden chamber, possibly heralding the discovery of Queen Nefertiti's resting place. Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images

Tutankhamun’s story has fascinated many historians—partially because his tomb contains hidden chambers. Meanwhile, he was only a teenager when he died, and his tomb was discovered in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter.

Also discovered was the boy king’s meteoric iron dagger blade, which is believed to be of meteorite origin.

It’s the third time researchers have gone inside the 3,300-year-old tomb in the past two years.