Hidden Face Revealed Under Nefertiti Bust

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Mr Wallstreet
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Hidden Face Revealed Under Nefertiti Bust

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BERLIN – Researchers in Germany have used a modern medical procedure to uncover a secret within one of ancient Egypt's most treasured artworks — the bust of Nefertiti has two faces. A team led by Dr. Alexander Huppertz, director of the Imaging Science Institute at Berlin's Charite hospital and medical school, discovered a detailed stone carving that differs from the external stucco face when they performed a computed tomography, or CT, scan on the bust.

Full article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090331/ap_ ... rtiti_face

This is truly an astounding find that raises important questions, for example why this second face was hidden, why the changes were so slight and on a perverse note: imagine the fun you can have with 2 Faces sitting on a "bust";) among other things.

We now turn to Basement-X's resident expert in archaeology and all things uncovered from the ground: The French Biscuit.

French Biscuit: Thoughts?

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The French Biscuit
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Post by The French Biscuit »

Mr Wallstreet wrote:
We now turn to Basement-X's resident expert in archaeology and all things uncovered from the ground: The French Biscuit.

French Biscuit: Thoughts?
Had a feeling you'd ask me. ;)

I am of two opinions on this; 1) The changes were made to keep the bust in the typical Egyptian art style. 2) The changes were made for purely cosmetic reasons.

1) Remember, Nefertiti's husband Amenhotep IV (who later changed his name to Akhenaten) was responsible for a lot of upheaval and drastic changes during his reign, even in the artistic representation of the pharaoh and his family. For instance, some images and statues of Akhenaten show him as he was (guy kinda had a horsey-face) while previous pharaoh's look a lot alike from one to the other. Ditto for the queens. This is referred to as the Amarna style.
So the bust may have been started before Akhenaten's death and was completed later when things had returned to normal (maybe under Nefertiti's reign, but there's conflicting evidence around whether or not she took over as pharaoh for a little while before her son Tutankhamon (born Tutankaten) took over) ).

I could go into the significance of these name changes if anyone gives a damn.

2) Or, could have been under Nefertiti's own orders to remove things like the bump in her nose. We do things like that in Photoshop all the time, people are vain. Then and now. It may be less of a big to-do then they're making it out to be.

But that's just my educated opinion, I could be wrong. :D
Biscuit AWAY!

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Mr Wallstreet
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Post by Mr Wallstreet »

The French Biscuit wrote:Had a feeling you'd ask me. ;)


2) Or, could have been under Nefertiti's own orders to remove things like the bump in her nose. We do things like that in Photoshop all the time, people are vain. Then and now. It may be less of a big to-do then they're making it out to be.

But that's just my educated opinion, I could be wrong. :D
Changes in artistic styles due to cultural upheavel be damned; I'll go with vanity. The idea of an ancient version of photoshop just tickles me.

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The French Biscuit
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Post by The French Biscuit »

Mr Wallstreet wrote:Changes in artistic styles due to cultural upheavel be damned; I'll go with vanity. The idea of an ancient version of photoshop just tickles me.
Me too, but it isn't a scientifically provable hypothesis so it probably wouldn't fly.

*sigh* oh the days.
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Fasheem
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Post by Fasheem »

The French Biscuit wrote: 2) Or, could have been under Nefertiti's own orders to remove things like the bump in her nose. We do things like that in Photoshop all the time, people are vain. Then and now. It may be less of a big to-do then they're making it out to be.

But that's just my educated opinion, I could be wrong. :D
Why wouldn't she have asked for that for the first one then?
ⓒ had to change it cause the caps were driving me nuts but still don't post any of this on Facebook 'kay

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The French Biscuit
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Post by The French Biscuit »

Fasheem wrote:Why wouldn't she have asked for that for the first one then?
Maybe she thought she wanted it like that, then changed her mind later on when it came time for the plaster job. Or the whole change over from Amenhotep to Tut happened and she switched back to the usual Egyptian art style to keep with the times.
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