Spell It: This ancient Egyptian queen was more than just a pretty face
We discover Nefertiti may have successfully led her country to peace in a volatile time
On December 6, 1912, German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt uncovered something amazing at the ruins in Amarna, Egypt. It was a bust, with what’s still considered to be one of the most stunning sculptures of a woman from the ancient world. The likeness belonged to Queen Nefertiti, whose name – quite aptly – meant ‘the beautiful one has come’.
Click start to play today’s Spell It, where we move the spotlight away from a ‘pharaoh’ to his female equivalent – the queen of ancient Egypt.
Even after spending over 3,000 years buried in the workshop of a court sculptor, Nefertiti’s bust was extraordinarily well-preserved. According to a March 2022 report in National Geographic, Borchardt was so mesmerised by the bust, he wrote in his excavation diary: “Colours as if paint was just applied. Work absolutely exceptional. Description is useless, must be seen.”
Nefertiti has long been known as a beloved royal wife and mother, married to Pharaoh Amenhotep IV, who was later known as Akhenaten. She enjoyed status and visibility like no other woman in Egyptian history – her images abound in ancient art, statues and on buildings. She even had her own temple.
But she may have been far more than just a pretty face.
Some historians believe that when Akhenaten’s reign was about to come to an end, he elevated his royal wife to the position of co-king. There’s some evidence to show that Nefertiti actually took the throne after the pharaoh’s death, ruling under the name Ankhkheperure Smenkhkare and guiding the country through a volatile period into the reign of the next pharaoh – her stepson, Tutankhamun. However, Nefertiti did not receive any credit for her keen political leadership, even though she helped restore Egypt after a period of great upheaval.
Archaeologists are still on the lookout for Nefertiti’s tomb, and with new technologies, they are closer than ever before. Who was Nefertiti, the queen that captured the attention of subjects with her beauty and grace, and who may have had far more political acumen than people realise? For now, she remains an enigma.
What do you think of the ancient Egyptian queen? Play today’s Spell It and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.