Hawas dismisses Nefertiti's mummy claim by British archaeologist

A senior Egyptian archaeologist described news that a British archaeologist has discovered the mummy of queen Nefertiti, wife of pharaoh Akhenaton who ruled in 14th century BC in a secret room in the valley of kings near Luxor, as 'groundless' yesterday.

Secretary General of the Supreme Council for antiquities, Zahi Hawas said that Joann Fletcher, a researcher from York university, who is working as a member of an excavation team in the tomb of AmenhotepII, was a beginner and her views of the three-discovered mummies were "completely wrong"

"Fletcher is a beginner and obtained her PhD only a short time ago and cannot, with her limited experience, judge such a discovery," Hawas, said.

He added that it was not the first time that for Fletcher had claimed such discoveries drawn from conclusions based on wrong theories,noting that the three mummies found in the tomb, which was origin discovered in 1898, are more likely to be queen Tiye and pharaoh amenhotep's son and youngest daughter.

Hawas warned that in the case of incorrect announcements by foreign excavation teams, their work would be stopped.