Nefertiti was a dazzling beauty who lived over 3,400 years ago. In honor of her flawless beauty, a bust was created that was never completed. Who found this work of art after so many years? What is happening with it now? Where is it located? This is the story of the Egyptian Nefertiti and her bust, which was found over a hundred years ago.
Who Was Nefertiti?
Little is currently known about the woman herself. The figure has intrigued archaeologists and historians for many years. It has been established that she was the wife of Akhenaten – the pharaoh of Egypt. They had six daughters. Nefertiti also cared for her husband’s son from a previous marriage. In Egypt, she was called „the extraordinary beauty of Aten.”
The question of the bust’s creation is very controversial, because in Egypt they were usually created in the image of victors, rulers, or enemies. There are theories that she assumed power after her husband’s death. But after finding the bust, one can conclude that this was never the case. The sculpture bears the inscription „May Nefertiti, the great royal wife, live.”
Nefertiti was buried in the town of Amarna, just like her husband, who during his lifetime proclaimed the cult of the god Aten. After this cult ceased in Egypt, great changes took place. All statues with religious themes were often destroyed. However, Nefertiti was not directly associated with belief in Aten. It is believed that this is precisely why her bust was found in pristine condition.
Under What Circumstances Was the Sculpture Found?
The sculpture was found on December 6, 1912. It was on that day, an otherwise unremarkable day, during excavations that something incredible was discovered. German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt, along with one hundred and fifty students, dug down to the famous bust of Nefertiti. Initially, they found the ruins of the house of one of Akhenaten’s sculptors.
There they found parts of a bust carved in the image of this very pharaoh. However, the culmination of that day’s excavations was the unearthing of Nefertiti’s bust. Since 1913, the sculpture of the Egyptian beauty has been in Germany, in one of Berlin’s museums.
Why Isn’t the Sculpture in Egypt?
Initially, only a handful of people knew about the excavations themselves. And the reports did not mention a single word about finding Nefertiti. Ludwig Borchardt deliberately kept information about such a discovery to himself. And all this in order to be able to keep it in Germany. However, the archaeologist had his own way of doing this.
Ludwig announced the discovery of the sculpture during the so-called handover of found artifacts. The archaeologist showed only a poor-quality photograph of Nefertiti’s bust. According to him, the sculpture should not remain in Egypt. The head of the Egyptian Antiquities Service at the time – Gustave Lefebvre – agreed with the researcher’s opinion.
To keep the bust in Berlin, the Germans initially disfigured it significantly with pieces of clay. The bust ultimately remained in the German capital. Egyptian authorities and those managing the Cairo museum felt cheated, demanding the return of the sculpture. Initially, this was supposed to happen, but when Adolf Hitler came to power, the entire transaction was canceled.
The story of Nefertiti intrigues many historians, archaeologists, but also ordinary people. Her beauty has been captured to some degree in the sculpture, but the bust probably does not fully reflect her true beauty. Many people may feel that the sculpture was actually stolen by the Germans. Currently, millions of tourists in Berlin admire Nefertiti’s bust. The sculpture never returned to Egypt.
