On August 15, I attended Dr Marc Gabolde’s lecture on Nefertiti, at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. I have attached the lecture in 3 parts in previous posts on Tumblr.
Marc raised some interesting points, including;
- The famous bust of Akhenaten with the elongated features was not intended to be viewed front on. It was part of a large statue, and if viewed from around 10m underneath, the angle actually causes the features to appear much more normal.
- Mekataten died at around age 8 and was not old enough to be pregnant, and therefore cannot be the woman depicted in the childbirth scene at Amarna. Marc argues that it is in fact Tutakhamun with his nurse Maya, and that the mother is Nefertiti.
- Nefertiti and Akhenaten are the parents of Tutakhamun and also cousins.
- Queen Tiye and Amenhotep III were cousins.
- The mummy of the younger lady in KV35 is Nefertiti.
- The lesser wife Kiya is the same person as Tadukhipa, Mitanni princess and gave birth to Baketaten.
- Nefertiti was not co-regent with Akhenaten and died one year before the end of his reign.
little ostraca 