Ancient riddle: Is Queen Nefertiti’s long-lost tomb hidden behind King Tut’s?

An Egyptologist who believes Queen Nefertiti’s crypt may be hidden behind King Tutankhamun’s 3,300-year-old tomb in the famed Valley of the Kings has been invited to Cairo to defend his theory, Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry said.

The theory by British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves, while gaining a lot of attention online in recent weeks, has yet to be reviewed by peers. However, it could offer a compelling new theory into a turbulent period of ancient Egyptian history that fascinates both experts and hobbyists around the world.

The ministry said Wednesday that Reeves will have the opportunity to discuss his theory with Egyptian experts in September. A joint expedition to Luxor, where the King Tut’s tomb is located, could be on the agenda, the ministry said.

Reeves did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reeves argues that Tut, who died at the age of 19, may have been rushed into an outer chamber of what was originally the tomb of Nefertiti, which has never been found.

He claims high-resolution images of King Tut’s tomb include lines underneath plastered surfaces of painted walls, showing there could be two unexplored doorways, one of which leading potentially to Nefertiti’s tomb. He also argues that the design of King Tut’s tomb suggests it was built for a queen, rather than a king.

Aidan Dodson, an Egyptologist at the University of Bristol, is skeptical of parts of Reeves’ theory.