More than 3,300 years ago, Queen Nefertiti and her husband ruled ancient Egypt with a heavy hand.
Many people disliked the royal couple for wielding1 so much power. While they didn't have many friends, everyone seemed to agree on one thing—that Nefertiti was a woman of rare beauty.
The queen had high cheekbones2, a swanlike neck, and smooth features. Her name means “the beautiful one has come.”
Although much is known about Nefertiti's life, little is known about her death. There are no records of when or how Nefertiti died or even where she was buried. Her remains have never been found—until now, perhaps.
Recently, a team of archaeologists3 announced that a forgotten mummy collecting dust in Egypt may be the long-lost queen.The team examined three neglected mummies4 in a previously sealed-off5 tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The area along the west bank of the Nile River is known as a burial ground for ancient Egyptian royalty. Joann Fletcher, the head of the research team, believes that one of the forgotten mummies is Nefertiti.
Although grave robbers had damaged the mummy's skull6 and chest, Fletcher had X-rays taken of the mummy to help prove her case. Two scientists used the X-rays to create a computerized model of what the face would have looked like.
To Fletcher's satisfaction, the re-created face closely resembles7 the famous sculpture of Nefertiti made during her reign. The mummy holds several other clues that it could be the queen.
First, the mummy's head is clean-shaven8. Nefertiti shaved her head so that her crown would fit snugly9. A shaved head also helped her stay cool in Egypt's stifling10 heat. The mummy's forehead shows Lost and Found?
The team examined three neglected mummies4 in a previously sealed-off5 tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The area along the west bank of the Nile River is known as a burial ground for ancient Egyptian royalty. Joann Fletcher, the head of the research team, believes that one of the forgotten mummies is Nefertiti.
Although grave robbers had damaged the mummy's skull6 and chest, Fletcher had X-rays taken of the mummy to help prove her case. Two scientists used the X-rays to create a computerized model of what the face would have looked like.
To Fletcher's satisfaction, the re-created face closely resembles7 the famous sculpture of Nefertiti made during her reign. The mummy holds several other clues that it could be the queen.
First, the mummy's head is clean-shaven8. Nefertiti shaved her head so that her crown would fit snugly9. A shaved head also helped her stay cool in Egypt's stifling10 heat. The mummy's forehead shows the mark of a tight-fitting band—a sign of royalty.
Traces of a wig11 found next to the mummy match the kind Nefertiti would have worn. In addition, the mummy's left earlobe12 was pierced13 twice. The sculpture of Nefertiti shows her with a double-pierced ear. Still another promising clue is the mummy's bent arm, which was broken off. Ancient Egyptians buried their kings and queens with their arms crossed.
Royal Flush
If scientists are correct, it would be quite a find. Along with Cleopatra, Nefertiti is believed to have been one of the most powerful women who ever lived in ancient Egypt.
Nefertiti ruled Egypt with her husband, the pharaoh Ikhnaton, from about 1372 B.C. to 1354 B.C. Their palace sat high above the east bank of the Nile River. At the time of her marriage, Nefertiti may have been a young teenager. She was the stepmother of King Tutankhamen, commonly known as King Tut.
Nefertiti and Ikhnaton had many enemies.
The royal couple began worshiping14 one god. That change angered ancient Egyptians, most of whom worshiped many gods.
To better follow their new religion, the royal couple built a new capital, called Akhetaton, in the heart of the desert. From there they ruled Egypt until Ikhnaton died. Many historians think that Nefertiti became pharaoh after her husband's death.
Today, researchers who study ancient Egypt continue to piece together Nefertiti's legendary life.
Some scientists, however, doubt that the mummy is Nefertiti. They said the mummy is much more likely to be male rather than female.
Nevertheless, Fletcher stands by her story. “We're never going to be 100 percent sure,” she told a reporter for Time magazine. “She's not going to sit up and tell us who she is.”
3300多年前，娜芙提提女王和丈夫用铁腕统治着古埃及。
很多人都不喜欢这对皇室夫妇挥舞大权，他们也没有多少朋友，但有一件事却是公认的 —— 娜芙提提美艳绝伦。
女王拥有高高的颧骨、天鹅般的颈项，面部肌肤柔滑润泽。她的名字意为：美女降临。
娜芙提提的生平我们知之甚多，对她的死我们却几乎一无所知。娜芙提提死亡的时间、原因甚至埋葬的地点都没有记载，她的遗骸恐怕至今也未发现。
最近一支考古队声称埃及一具被遗忘的尘封木乃伊可能就是这位失踪已久的女王。失而复得？
考古队查验了国王谷中此前一直封存在古墓中的3具被遗忘的木乃伊。尼罗河西岸这个地区即是众所周知的古埃及王室墓地。考古队队长琼安·福莱彻确信这些被遗忘的木乃伊其中之一就是娜芙提提。
盗墓者毁坏了木乃伊的头骨和胸部。为了帮助验证身份，福莱彻为木乃伊拍下了X光照片。两位科学家用X光照片合成电脑模型，显示出她当年的容貌。
令福莱彻满意的是，合成的面部与娜芙提提在位时她的著名雕像十分相像，木乃伊还有几个其他的线索证明它可能就是女王。
首先木乃伊的头发全部剃掉了，娜芙提提剃发是为了王冠戴上更服贴。剃光头发也能让她在埃及令人窒息的炎热中保持凉爽。木乃伊的前额有箍紧的环状印痕 —— 这可是王室的印记。
木乃伊旁边的假发痕迹与娜芙提提可能配戴的那种相互吻合。另外，木乃伊的左耳垂有两道穿刺，而娜芙提提雕像的耳朵也有两道刺孔。还有另一个可能的线索是木乃伊弯曲的手臂是折断的。古埃及人埋葬国王和王后时都会让他们双臂交叉。
王牌
如果科学家们是对的，这可是一个了不起的发现。娜芙提提跟克里奥佩特拉一样被认为是古埃及最有权势的女人。
大约公元前1372年到1354年，娜芙提提和她的丈夫、法老伊卡纳腾统治着埃及，他们的王宫高居尼罗河东岸。出嫁时，娜芙提提可能还是个妙龄少女。娜芙提提还是人称图坦王的图坦卡门国王的继母。
娜芙提提和伊卡纳腾树敌颇多。这对皇室夫妇始创崇拜一神教，这个变革惹恼了信仰多神教的大部分古埃及人。
为了更好地追随他们的新信仰，皇室夫妇在沙漠的心脏地带建立了新首都阿卡塔腾。他们在那里治理埃及，直到伊卡纳腾去世。许多学者认为娜芙提提在丈夫死后当上了法老。
至今，研究古埃及的学者们还在拼接娜芙提提的传奇生涯。
不过一些科学家却不相信这具木乃伊就是娜芙提提，他们说那具木乃伊更像是男性而非女性。
然而福莱彻坚持自己的意见。她对《时代》杂志的记者说：“我们永远不会有百分之百的把握，她不会坐起来告诉我们她是谁。”
1. wield v． 挥舞
2． cheekbone n． 颧骨
3． archaeologist n． 考古学家
4． mummy 木乃伊
5． seal off 密封
6． skull n． 头骨
7． resemble v． 像，相似
8． shave v． 剃、修剪
9． snugly adv． 舒服地
10． stifle v． 使窒息
11． wig [wig] n． 假发
12． earlobe n． 耳垂
13． pierce v． 穿刺
14． worship v． 崇拜