Kiya - The most mysterious wife of the Egyptian pharaoh

A woman who holds a special position in the heart of pharaoh Akhenaten but Kiya's life and life are still under the mysterious veil.

The only thing researchers know about Kiya is her name and she is the wife of the Egyptian emperor Akhenaten with the title "Dear wife" . Much information about Kiya is lost over time and mixed in the biography of Queen Nefertiti and other women of the dynasty.

Scientists put forward two theories about her origins. According to one hypothesis, Pharaoh Akhenaten's wife came from Mitanni in northern Syria. She is a princess named Tadukhepa , who was married to Egypt for diplomatic purposes, according to Aidan Dodson, a doctor of history and anthropology at Bristol University, England.

Kiya's reconstruction figure.(Photo: Metropolitan Museum of Art).

The exact date of Kiya's death has not yet been determined, but the last trace of her remains in the 12th or 13th year during Akhenaten's reign. Therefore, the researchers attempted to reconstruct the events around Kiya and her disappearance based on the remaining information.

The second hypothesis about Kiya is associated with DNA analysis. The special point about Kiya is her connection to the woman named Young Lady in the tomb of KV35 symbol . This tomb reopened in 1907 is the final resting place for two women lying side by side, the Young Lady and the Old Lady.

According to Dr. Joann Fletcher, the Egyptologist at New York University, USA, the younger Lady is the beautiful Nefertiti queen . French researcher Marc Gabolde also leaned on Fletcher's opinion.

Meanwhile, the 11-mummy DNA test of Egyptian Supreme Archeology Council showed that Pharaoh Tutankhamun's father was the man in the tomb of KV55 symbol - Akhenaten. Younger lady is Queen Tiye, mother of Akhenaten, and wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Tutankhamun's mother is a younger Lady, daughter of Tiye and Amenhotep III. The parents of pharaoh Tutankhamun are blood brothers. However, most Egyptologists now believe that younger Lady is actually Kiya.

A sealed container with a Kiya-shaped lid.(Photo: Wikipedia).

Another noteworthy point is that the latest scans on the younger Lady's mummy indicate this woman was murdered. According to Dr. Ashraf Selim, X-rays are taken, if the face is destroyed after marinating, the bones of dry meat will remain inside the wound. Computerized scans from the Egyptian Mummy Project showed very few broken bones in the sinus cavity, showing the wounds on the woman's face with pre-embalmed and more likely before death.

Researchers began to analyze artifacts associated with Kiya, in which the most important item was the four sealed vessels found in the tomb of KV55. These are examples of art from ancient Egypt, with the lid carved in the face like a portrait. Analyzing the carvings on the jar showed that the woman had a long, slender nose, thick lips and big eyes, most likely Kiya.

The truth about Kiya's life is still a great challenge for archaeologists. The pictures of Kiya are carved into portraits of other members of the royal family. According to Dodson, the logical explanation for her sudden disappearance was that Kiya was disgraced. Any evidence found in archaeological sites and private titles indicates that Kiya is an important figure in the royal family. Her name means "dear wife" , the title never before in Egyptian history. It indicates her special place in the heart of the pharaoh Akhenaten and the role she holds in the royal palace because no woman around the emperor has the same name.