Mummy of a Lost Egyptian Queen Identified – A2 English Reading Test — Explanation

Mummy of a Lost Egyptian Queen Identified

Archaeologists in Egypt believe they have identified the mummy of Queen Neferu, a ruler who lived more than 3,000 years ago. Workers first found the mummy in a small tomb near Luxor in 1926, but there was no name on it. For many years, it remained in a museum store room.

A research team recently studied the mummy with modern scanning machines. The scans showed that the woman was about fifty years old and had an old injury in her left arm. Scientists then compared a tooth from the mummy with an empty space in a decorated box. The box carried Queen Neferu's name and the tooth fitted perfectly.

Queen Neferu ruled for nearly twelve years after her husband died. Records describe her as a skilled leader who improved farming canals and sent traders south to find gold and valuable wood. She also ordered the building of a temple beside the Nile.

After her death, a later ruler removed her name from several stone walls. Historians do not know exactly why. The new discovery may help experts learn more about her family, health and time as queen. However, the team says further tests are necessary before the identification is certain.