Few civilizations have a more mysterious reputation than ancient Egypt. And after thousands of years, we still haven’t unraveled some of the mysteries of Ancient Egypt. Despite all of the research and studies, we still have a lot to learn about the land of hieroglyphs. With that in mind, here are some mysteries that we do not have the answer to.
How King Tut Died?
King Tutankhamun is the most famous of all Egyptian pharaohs. And he is famous despite dying young. The question is, how he died? There were many theories about his death, including that he was assassinated. But the consensus nowadays is that his death was accidental. However, we still do not have the definite answer.
The most we can say is that he had suffered a compound left leg fracture shortly before his death. And that is thanks to a CT scan taken in 2005.
However, the speculations run freely again. Some say that it could have been a kick from a chariot horse, hippo attack, and more.
And then there are his ribs, many of which are missing. King Tut also suffered from malaria, and because he was product of incest, his body was way too weak. The prevailing theory might very well be that his body gave out on hm.
What is the real name of the Sphinx?
It wasn’t until 1817 that we started learning about the Sphinx. Mark Lehner, an archeologist, started exploring and researching the Sphinx. He found out who built it, and it was done, and how long it took. We have most of the answers. Pharaoh Khafre built by paying hundreds of laborers using a humongous chunk of nearby limestone, and it took three years and more than 100 people.
One question scientists have is what is the name of the Sphinx? What was the name that ancient Egyptians used? When Khafre built his monument, the term “Sphinx” did not exist. That is a Greek term. And because Egyptians did not write history, we have no solid evidence for what builders thought the Sphinx was.
The Hidden Temple Shoes Mystery
This mystery surfaced in 2004, when archeologist Angelo Sesana published a report in the journal Memnonia. In the report, he spoke about seven pairs of shoes his team found inside a jar in the Luxor temple.
According to ancient Egyptian footwear experts, the shoes were likely quite expensive and foreign-made. So, whoever put them there was likely high-society. But how high, that is the question. But no matter if they were worn by royalty or well-to-do commoners, they felt the need to discard the expensive shoes in a jar. Even more, they placed the jar between two walls in a tight place where nobody would look for.
What happened to Queen Nefertiti?
Queen Nefertiti is the second most popular and famous Egyptian Queen. The title belongs to Cleopatra, of course. But Nefertiti is also quite amazing, and mysterious. She ruled for years alongside Pharaoh Akhenaten, but then simply vanished. There are no records of what happened to her after 1336 BC.
There is a theory that she became co-regent with Akhenaten and changed her name to Neferneferuaten. There is another one that she changed her name to Smenkhkare and became a full-blown pharaoh, disguised as a man.
In 2015, there was a report by then minister of antiquities, that one or two additional chambers were found in King Tut’s tomb. One of them might end up being Nefertiti’s crypt. But until now, her body is nowhere to be found.
How Many Chambers does the Great Pyramid Have?
The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the Wonders of the Ancient World. And it is the only Natural Wonder still standing. Therefore, it deserves respect. While it seems like we know exactly what is inside, there are still questions. For a while, we knew of three chambers, the King’s, Queen’s, and the Grand Gallery. But recently, more chambers have been discovered, prompting the question how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Many small robots have entered the Pyramid to this day, and they come back with more questions than answers.
The Nabta Playa Stone Circle
Stonehenge is not the only circle of mysterious rocks in the world. Southern Egypt has one as well, and it is called Nabta Playa Stone Circle. It is a collection of flat rocks. Taller rocks are in the middle, and it was discovered in 1974 by a team of scientists.
And in the same way Stonehenge remains a mystery, the Nabta Playa Stone circle remains one as well. One report says that they represent very early symbolic connection to the heavens, due to all the stones, livestock and human graves nearby. But what that connection might be? An ancient God? The Sun? Stars? Or something else?
What is the Dendera Light?
Even by ancient Egyptian standards, the Dendera light makes no sense. It is basically a drawing of a man holding hat looks to be a gigantic tube that is taller and wider than him. And some people joke that might be a proof Egyptian had light bulbs.
That is just one of the many creative ideas and theories. Of course, there are more traditional ones, like that the Dendera light is a combination of a lotus flower, and more symbols. But to this day, we have no idea what it actually is.
