A group of archaeologists have made remarkable discoveries during a recent investigation into King Tutankhamun's tomb. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, consistent with early theories that King Tut's tomb has secret doorways, infrared thermography has uncovered hidden chambers in the tomb.

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Researchers from the Faculty of Engineering of Cairo University and the Heritage Innovation and Preservation organization from Paris utilized infrared thermography to determine wall temperature surrounding the tomb. Initial results showed that in the northern parts of the wall, some areas have different temperature.

"The experiment lasted for 24 hours," said Madouh Eldamaty, minister of Egypt's antiquities. To verify the results, Eldamaty said that further testing should be conducted to correctly determine the area showing temperature difference.

"The team was very impressed and full of emotion to spend the night in the tomb," said Paris-based Heritage Innovation Prevention Institute minister Mehdi Tayoubi in an interview with Discovery News.

If confirmed, then this can prove a theory proposed by Nicholas Reeves early this year. The British Egyptologist from the University of Arizona claimed that King Tutankhamun's tomb has two secret doorways that were plastered and painted over and that "distinct linear traces" shown on high-resolution images point to those two unexplored chambers behind the northern and western walls.

Reeves believes that the door lead to a larger chamber where Nefertiti, Tutankhamun's father's wife, was buried. He further claimed that because of his unexpected death in 1331BC at the age of 19, Tut's tomb was not yet ready; thus, he was placed in Nefertiti's tomb instead.

In addition, Reeves discovered that the "oromental groove" found on the side of the figure's mouth is Nefertiti's trademark in pictures, which might imply that the figure labeled as Tutankhamun is actually Nefertiti. And on the other hand, completing Nefertiti's death ritual, the figure designated as Ay is Tutankhamun.

However, several archaeologists claim that in 1989 in the Valley of the Kings, Nefertiti's mummy has already been located at tomb KV35 by archaeologist Victor Lorit, but the identification has never been proven. No details were given out as to when the next tests will be published.

TagsKing Tutankhamun's tomb, King Tut, Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, infrared thermography, secret doorways in the tomb, Nicholas Reeves, Nefertiti, tomb KV35, secret chambers