Was Nefertiti, Tutankhamen’s Mother or

Stepmother?
By Alana Westbrook

The relationship between Nefertiti and Tutankhamen has baffled many scholars
since the discovery of Nefertiti’s bust in 1912 by Ludwig Borchardt
(Webanalyse, 2017). The thesis for this Historical Investigation: Nefertiti was
Tutankhumen’s ‘Stepmother’, Grandmother and his mother in law.
Nefertiti (c. 1370 – c. 1336 BCE) was the Great Royal Wife of pharaoh Akhenaten
(who was allegedly Amenhotep IV) in the 18th Dynasty of New Kingdom Egypt,
she disappeared from records after the 12th year of their reign (Mark, 2014).
What is certain about Nefertiti and Tutankhamen’s relationship, they were at
least in-laws, as Tutankhamen married Ankesenamun (Nefertiti and Akhenaten’s
daughter). Through DNA testing, conducted by Zahi Hawass, Yehia Z. Gad and
Somaia Ismail from September 2007 to October 2009, of several anonymous
mummies from the 18th Dynasty, the mummy who was from the KV55 tomb, who
is most probably Akhenaten was matched as the father of Tutankhamen.
(Hawass etal , 2010) Archaeologists have yet to find Nefertiti’s body, some
scholars such as Nicholas Reeves suggest her remains lie in Tutankhamen’s tomb
in a large chamber behind a concealed door (Strauss, 2015). Others, such as Joan
Fletch an archaeologist from the University of York, say her body has already
been found, announcing the mummy known as The Younger Lady is in fact, the
mummy of Queen Nefertiti (Strauss, 2015).
This has sparked historians, such as French Egyptologist Marc Gabolde, from the
University of Paul Valery-Montpellier III (Powell, 2013), to believe Nefertiti was
Tutankhamen’s mother as she was Akhenaten’s chief wife.
However, this doesn’t add up to evidence found from primary sources, such as
talatat stones, as there are no depictions of Nefertiti with a son (Mark, 2014).
There is also no sufficient evidence to support the claim that Nefertiti was
Tutankhamen’s mother. This has lead other scholars and historians, such as
Christine El Mahdy an English Egyptologist (Mahdy, 1999), Dr Nicholas Reeves a
professor at the University of Arizona (Seidel, 2015) and Ian Hawkings a British
historian (Hawkins, 2015), to believe Nefertiti was his step mother and mother
in law. (Mark, 2014) (Mahdy, 1999)

Some historians believe Nefertiti was Tutankhamen’s mother supported by the

DNA evidence (that has been interpreted by Dr Nicholas Gabolde) that states
Tutankhamen’s parentage was between two first-degree relatives (Powell, 2013)
and is supported by the royal marriage practices as they married into the family
to keep the bloodline pure (Haymarket Media, Inc, 2014), however that doesn’t
match up to the primary source of the talatat stones where depictions of her
family do not include a son.
Dr Marc Gabolde is convinced that Tutankhamen’s mother was Akhenaten’s first
cousin and chief wife, Nefertiti (Powell, 2013). Gabolde interpreted the DNA
evidence of Tutankhamen’s ancestry differently than most historians. (Powell,
2013) The DNA evidence found using molecular genetic methods and DNA
extraction from human remains, shows that Tutankhamen’s parentage was
between two first-degree relatives (see Appendix A) (Hawass etal , 2010). This
attributes to his numerous familial diseases that caused many deformities such
as the necrosis in his left foot (Than, 2010), illnesses and possibly was the cause
of his death (Hawass etal , 2010).

Gabolde suggests, “The consequence of that is that the DNA of the third
generation between cousins looks like the DNA between a brother and sister” He
further states, “I believe that Tutankhamen is the son of Akhenaten and Nefertiti,
but that Akhenaten and Nefertiti were cousins.” (See appendix B) (Powell, 2013)
This concurs with the royal practices of marriage in ancient Egyptian society, as
they believed marrying into the family would keep the bloodline pure
(Haymarket Media, Inc, 2014). This also explains why Nefertiti’s cartouche
appears on the death mask of Tutankhamen, as she possibly ruled a co-regent
with Tutankhamen or as his predecessor (see Appendix C) (Reeves, n.d.).

However this doesn’t match up with primary sources, such as the talatat stones
found from an Amarna temple (see appendix D). Nefertiti has been recorded,
seen on talatat stones, to have had six surviving well-documented daughters,
however there is no evidence or depictions of Nefertiti with a son (see Appendix
D) (Tyldesley, 2012). This does not mean she didn’t have any sons, however this
led many historians to theorize none of her son’s (if she did bare any) survived
beyond infancy (Tyldesley, 2012).

Because of the scenes depicted on these stones, many scholars believe Nefertiti
was Tutankhamen’s ‘Step-mother’ (Than, 2010). The other popular theory
behind the identity of the mother of Tutankhumen is Meketaten, Nefertiti and
Akhenaten’s daughter. Evidence for Meketaten include scenes of a women who
died from childbirth found outside her tomb at Tell El-Amarna Royal Tomb
excavated in 1984, and one of the figures depicted in this scene show
resembelence to Nefertiti.
Willeke Wendrich, a UCLA Egyptologist says, “Egyptian pharaohs had multiple
wives, and often multiple sons who would potentially compete for the throne
after the death of their father.” Many suspect Tutankhamen is the son of
Meketaten Nefertiti and Akhenaten’s daughter or the mummy found in the
tomb KV35 known as the Younger Lady (known to be Akhenaten’s relative and
could be the body of Meketaten). (Mahdy, 1999) (Mark, 2014)

A source that supports the theory of Meketaten being Tutankhumen’s mother is

at the royal tomb at Tell el Amarna that holds the human remains of Akhenaten
(determined by twenty-five pieces of Shabti figures inscribed for Akhenaten)
which holds an interesting scene carved into the walls of the tomb in the royal
tombs at Tell el Amarna (see Appendix E). It shows the body of a woman lying on
a bier with Akhenaten and another women crying (Mahdy, 1999). A courtier is
seen behind clutching a baby, suggesting the woman died in childbirth (Mahdy,
1999). And since the dates (18th dynasty) match up, Anthropologist Geoffrey
Martin identifies the child in this scene as Tutankhamen (Mahdy, 1999) and
Martin’s view is generally accepted.

What is unclear is the identity of the woman lying on the bier. Some suspect that
the woman is Meketaten, as the scene was found on the outer chamber of the
Meketaten Annexe. (Kemp, 2016) But this seems very unlikely, as that would
have meant she married her father, Akhenaten; and that would not have been
common or widely accepted. (Tyldesley, 2012) (Mahdy, 1999) It is possible, and
there is much evidence that points to this theory, as there is a Meketaten’s bower
found in her tomb, which is reminiscent of the birth bowers used by women in
labour, but this could also have been used as a symbol of her rebirth into the
afterlife. (Tyldesley, 2012)

However, evidence from the DNA analysis from the mummy known as the
Younger Lady, found in the KV35 tomb, matches the DNA of Tutankhamen
(Hawass etal , 2010), suggesting she was his mother. The DNA also stated that
the Younger Lady and Akhenaten share similar DNA, suggesting they were
siblings. (Hawass etal , 2010; Hawass etal , 2010) This then rules out Meketaten
as Tutankhumen’s mother as her body is in the Tell el Amarna. The identity of
the younger Lady is unknown however the evidence does rule out Nefertiti as
Tutankhamen’s mother. Their relationship, however she was his mother in law,
as Tutankhamen married Ankhesenamun who was Nefertiti’s daughter.
(Mahdy, 1999) (Mark, 2014)

When examining the sources used in this Investigation, it is important to

remember that theories change and improve as Technology advances (Hurley,
2015). Until recently, it had been almost impossible to find enough ancient DNA
to test any theories behind parentage or lineage (Hurley, 2015). In recent years,
scientists have discovered how to extract DNA material from preserved tissue,
bones and teeth. (Hurley, 2015) When considering DNA evidence when
questioning parentage and lineage, ancestral DNA tests are 99.9% accurate, but
it’s usually how it is interpreted that can lead to mistakes.
This also leads to many historians, scholars and Egyptologists (such as Christine
El Mahdy) to question theories that DNA analysis doesn’t support. In the instance
of the identify of Tutankhamen’s mother, the DNA seems to disprove Nefertiti as
his mother, and leads to scholars believing it was one of Akhenaten’s sisters.

The historiography around Nefertiti’s family is due to the interpretation of

primary sources, such as the talatat stones (See Appendix D) and the scenes
depicted in Egyptian tombs (See Appendix E) (Hurley, 2015). Because of erosion
and destruction of the artefacts and historical evidence, historians have to
interpret the source and form a theory around its meaning or use (Hurley, 2015).
This can be influenced by bias or opinions of the historian (Hurley, 2015). It is
also important to account for bias and the face value of the source, as it may not
be an accurate recount or depiction and may not be reliable (Hurley, 2015). For
example, the scene in the outer chamber of the Meketaten annexe, it has been
interpreted from the baby being held by a courtier that she died from childbirth,
but this may not be true as the child could be a symbol of rebirth and may not
even by Meketaten at all as there is no name or cartouche that identifies the
woman. Other theories I have discussed previously, in relation to the possibility
of Meketaten being Tutankhamen’s mother and the scene in the Royal Tomb at
Tell el-Amarna is the depiction of Meketaten’s death due to child birth and the
baby is Tutankhamen (See Appendix E).
Most evidence seems to suggest, Nefertiti was Tutankhumen’s ‘Stepmother’,
Grandmother and his mother in law. His mother seeems to be Nefertiti’s
daughter, Meketaten as seen depicted on the scene in her tomb walls at the Tel
el-Amarna Royal Tomb.
There are many theories around the exact nature of Tutankhamen and Nefertiti’s
relationship. Some scholars, such as Gabolde, believe Nefertiti was
Tutankhamen’s mother. This would make sense, as Nefertiti was the Great Wife
of Akhneaten and her heir would have sole claim to the throne (mediterráneas,
2004). However, through DNA testing and the lack of evidence of a son from
family scenes of Nefertiti and Akhenaten depicted on talatat stones it is widely
accepted, by scholars such as El Mahdy, an English Egyptologist (Mahdy, 1999),
Reeves (Seidel, 2015) and Hawkings a British historian (Hawkins, 2015),
Nefertiti was not Tutankhamen’s mother. Willeke Wendrich, a UCLA
Egyptologist explains this, “Egyptian pharaohs had multiple wives, and often
multiple sons who would potentially compete for the throne after the death of
their father.” From the DNA testing, conducted by Zahi Hawass, the evidence
show the Mummy from the tomb known as KV35, the mummy known as the
Younger Lady tested positive for Tutankhamen’s mother.

The exact identity of the Younger Lady is still debated, but it is storngly
supported and suggested it was Nefertiti’s daughter Meketaten; as there is
multiple strong amounts of evidence that support this theory.
The evidence from a scene on the wall inside the Royal El-Amarana tomb (See
Appendix E) would suggest Meketaten died in childbirth and the most likely
candidate for her childes paternity would be her father, Akhenaten (Nefertit’s
Husband). (This would have been uncommon, but it has happened before in the
case of pharaoh Tushtatta (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2017). )
The DNA evidence also states the two mummies, the mummy from the tomb
KV55 (suspected to be the remains of Akhenaten) and the mummy known as the
Younger Lady shared similar DNA, meaning they were closely related either by
being siblings or father and daughter, again supporting this theory. That would
have made Nefertiti Tutankhumens ‘Stepmother’, Grandmother and, when
Tutankhumen married Ankhesenamun, Nefertiti and Akhenaten’s daughter, his
mother in law.

So in conclusion, Nefertiti was Tutankhumen’s ‘Stepmother’, Grandmother and

his mother in law. This proves them to have had a very close relationship and
also explains why a lot of her burial items where found in Tutankhumen’s tomb.
The compelling evidence from DNA testing, the primary sources such as the
talatat stones, and the depictions of Meketaten in her tomb in the Tell El Amarna
helped develop a compelling theory behind the relationship between
Tutankhumen and Nefertiti.
As historians develop new ideas and new evidence emerges, it is possible that
the mystery behind these two facinating figure will someday soon be solved.
Appendices
Appendix A: Microsatellite Data of Mummies Thought to Belong to the
Tutankhamen Kindred

“The length of each microsatellite allele was determined in base pairs and
converted by software into the number of actual reiterations of repeat motifs at
the corresponding locus. All established genotypes differ from those of the
laboratory staff and the ancient control group. Note that allele origins in KV21A
and KV21B are suggestive and do not serve as proof of relationship with the
Amenhotep III and Thuya lineages. See online interactive kinship analysis and
pedigree.aIdentified as Tiye.” – The JAMMA Network

See more information at: Hawass Z, Gad YZ, Ismail S, Khairat R, Fathalla D, Hasan N,
Ahmed A, Elleithy H, Ball M, Gaballah F, Wasef S, Fateen M, Amer H, Gostner P, Selim A,
Zink A, Pusch CM. Ancestry and Pathology in King Tutankhamun's
Family. JAMA. 2010;303(7):638-647. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.121
Appendix B: Pedigree Showing the Genetic Relationships of the Tested 18th-
Dynasty Mummies

“Double line, indicating consanguinity, here represents a first-degree brother-

sister relationship. Fetus 1 and fetus 2 can be daughters of Tutankhamun;
however, the mother is not yet genetically identified. The data obtained from
KV21A suggest her as the mother of the fetuses. However, the few data are not
statistically significant to define her as Ankhensenamun. “ – The JAMA Network

See more information at: Hawass Z, Gad YZ, Ismail S, Khairat R, Fathalla D, Hasan N,
Ahmed A, Elleithy H, Ball M, Gaballah F, Wasef S, Fateen M, Amer H, Gostner P, Selim A,
Zink A, Pusch CM. Ancestry and Pathology in King Tutankhamun's
Family. JAMA. 2010;303(7):638-647. doi:10.1001/jama.2010.121
Appendix C: Article 1, Questions over Tutankhamun’s lineage and tomb: Some
reflections by Dr Jeremy Northcote, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
Published in Archaeology Online, Volume 1 (2016)

“In a recent paper, Reeves (2015) maintains the conventional but subsiding view
that Nefertiti was Tutankhamun’s mother (Dodson, 2009). He points out that
many of Tutankhamun’s funeral objects were originally intended
for Neferneferuaten, the name of a female ruler who reigned following the death
of Akhenaten, who Reeves identifies as Nefertiti. Even the famous gold funerary
mask of Tutankhamun has Queen Neferneferuaten’s royal name, Ankhkheperure,
partly erased on a cartouche (Eaton-Krauss 1993).” -

See more information at: Northcote, Dr Jeremy. "ARTICLE 1: Questions over

Tutankhamun’s lineage and tomb: Some reflections ." Archeaology Online 1
(2016): 14.
Appendix D: Talatat stone of Akhenaten and Nefertiti holding their daughters

Egyptian relief of Akhenaten and Nefertiti holding their daughters, under the
rays of the sun-god Aten, (c1370-c1330 BC) Found from an Tell el-Amarna Aten
temple.
Collection from Universal Images Group
Appendix E: Scene of royal family mourning.

Sunrise scene in the outer chamber of the Meketaten annexe (chamber alpha)
with recreation of depictions.

The two figures crying over the body seem to look like Nefertiti and Akhenaten,
as the woman’s figure is wearing a unique headdress – a flat-topped tall,
straightedged, blue crown which Nefertiti is often depicted wearing. This had
lead many to suggest the woman who lies on the bier is Meketaten, Nefertiti’s
and Akhenaten’s daughter. (Mahdy, 1999)

“The Royal Tomb was discovered in the 1880s by local people. It had been
plundered and damaged in ancient times, and since discovery has been damaged
further.”

See more information at: G.T. Martin, The Royal Tomb at El-‘Amarna II. The reliefs,
inscriptions, and architecture (London, Egypt Exploration Society 1989).
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