From how King Tut died to hidden rooms in the Great Pyramid, we count 7 unsolved mysteries of Ancient Egypt.
7. The Forgotten Shoes
When people think of mysteries that surround ancient Egypt, they may think about the pyramids or the pharaohs. Chances are, they don’t think about something as mundane as shoes.
The shoes that archaeologists found in a temple in Luxor are a different story. Seven were found in a jar and seemed to have been forgotten by their owners, even though analysis of the shoes determined that they would’ve been expensive at the time because they were foreign-made. Two pairs were children’s, which were seven inches long. The single shoe, meant for an adult, was tied to them. Another pair of shoes were nine inches long and were worn by a limping adult. Made of leather, the shoes weren’t sandals that were the most common form of footwear in ancient Egypt.
Perhaps the biggest mystery isn’t that the shoes were found in a jar in a temple, or that they weren’t the more traditional sandal for the time, but that these very expensive shoes were just abandoned by the owners.
6. Dendera Light
We know that electricity didn’t exist during ancient times, which makes what this carving depicts even more of a mystery.
Discovered in the Hathor temple at the Dendera Temple complex, this wall in a crypt has a carving which appears to show a light bulb. In actuality, Egyptologists believe it’s really a bunch of symbols from various pieces of Egyptian mythology. If you look closely, you will see a lotus flower emitting the Djed pillar, where instead of a filament you’ll see a snake. In Egyptian culture, the Djed pillar symbolizes stability, while the snake coming out of the flower symbolizes fertility.
Even though the idea of the wall depicting various Egyptian symbols is a lot more realistic than the idea of electricity being around at that time, we can’t help but think how much that looks like a light bulb. These are also ideas, which means nobody really knows.
5. Nefertiti’s Disappearance
Known throughout Egypt for her beauty, Egyptian queen Nefertiti was the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten and was known as the Ruler of the Nile and Daughter of Gods.
Then, in the twelfth year of Akhenaten’s rule, there is nothing about Nefertiti. It’s like she suddenly vanished. Theories about this disappearance range from falling into disgrace – which has since been proven wrong – to ruling under a completely different name, Neferneferuaten. She would have then died after just two years of ruling, only for her stepson, Tutankhamen, to become pharaoh. There hasn’t been any conclusive evidence to support some of the theories of her appearance.
To add to the mystery, Nefertiti’s mummy has never been found.
4. King Tut’s Death
Speaking of Nefertiti, her stepson has a little mystery surrounding him as well. Unlike his stepmother, Tutankhamen’s mummy was found, but the circumstances surrounding the pharaoh’s death are a mystery.
Tutankhamen, better known as King Tut, has many theories as to how he died. While some speculate that his death was from that of an assassin, most believe his death was accidental. There are also theories that King Tut suffered from various diseases, but most were proven wrong. In 2005 scientists gave King Tut’s mummy a CT scan, which revealed a leg fracture that had later become infected. Further tests also showed that he had malaria and a bone disorder, all of which could be fatal especially when combined.
However, the mystery of King Tut’s death continues to baffle scientists as evidence about how he really died remains inconclusive.