Slide Show: The Hidden Face of Nefertiti
Using computed tomography, researchers uncover the original molds for the royal sculpture
Slide Show: The Hidden Face of Nefertiti
- NOSE RECONSTRUCTION: The outer layer is shown in red to highlight the differences between the inner and outer faces. The arrow points to the slight bump on the nose on the limestone core. Removing the bump on the nose could have been done to enhance beauty, but the scientists speculate that in light of the other beauty-"detracting" changes, this change might also have been designed to make the bust more similar to the queen's actual appearance. THE RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
- HIDDEN INNER LAYER: The arrows in the photo show the creases of the mouth in the inner layer, which are softer than those etched in the top layer. This suggests that the royal sculptor, Thutmose, provided more realistic details when he added the outer stucco layer. In ancient Egypt, women wore heavy layers of makeup to conceal wrinkles, so the fact that the sculptor added more wrinkles to the finished product supports the scientists' theory that the bust was designed to be a likeness of the queen rather than one sculpted to the beauty standards of the day. The slightly bumpy surface is caused by boundary artifacts between the stucco layer and limestone core. THE RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
- STUCCO OUTER LAYER: The stars mark a more pronounced shading of the inner eyelid corners on the outer layer. It had been speculated that the bust was created more according to the beauty standards of the Amarna period in Egypt (circa 1340 B.C.), rather than in Nefertiti's likeness, but the shading revealed by the scans beneath the eyes shows she was aging. The scientists speculate that the lines beneath her eyes were meant to show maturity and wisdom valued in that culture. THE RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
