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      Slide Show: The Hidden Face of Nefertiti

      Using computed tomography, researchers uncover the original molds for the royal sculpture

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      Slide Show: The Hidden Face of Nefertiti
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      Slide Show: The Hidden Face of Nefertiti

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      • LEFT EAR: As opposed the pointed right ear, this one ends bluntly. Scientists suggest that this asymmetry is likely due not to craftsmanship but to damage the bust sustained at some point. THE RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
      • RIGHT EAR: Most of the details for the ears, like the intricate auricular cavities, were done on the limestone. THE RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
      • 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
      • VISIBLE OUTER LAYER OF STUCCO: This image shows the more prominent cheekbones that were added with stucco. THE RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
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      • THIN-SKINNED: The original layer of stucco, shaded in red, is only one to two millimeters (0.04 to 0.08 inch) thick; the stucco is thicker where the bust is most fragile at the rear of the crown and the top of the shoulders... 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... 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 RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
      • ABOUT A FACE: The famous bust of Nefertiti. THE RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA
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      • LEFT EAR:
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      • NOSE RECONSTRUCTION:
      • VISIBLE OUTER LAYER OF STUCCO:
      • THIN-SKINNED:
      • HIDDEN INNER LAYER:
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