Legends of the Ancient World: The Life and Legacy of Queen Nefertiti

In the early 20th century, over 3,000 years after her death, Nefertiti became a household name and one of the most famous women of the ancient world.

Egyptologists were aware that she was a queen of the New Kingdom Egypt during the later portion of the 18th dynasty, but she was little-known until the presentation of a reconstructed bust depicting her at the Berlin Museum in 1924. Nefertiti means "the beautiful one has come", and if the presented bust is anything to judge by she, was indeed a beautiful woman.

The bust of Nefertiti caused an enormous sensation following the glamorous discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922 by Howard Carter. The bust was the work of the ancient royal sculptor Thutmose and was first discovered by German archaeologists in a fragmented state in the remains of Thutmose's workshop at the ancient city of Akhetaten, known today as Tell el-Amarna.

With the discovery and display of the bust, the once little known queen Nefertiti became eponymous with Ancient Egypt, alongside that of the Great Pyramids at Giza and the Golden Funerary Mask of the young Tutankhamen. Thanks to that bust, Nefertiti's image has become immortalized and may be found in replica busts, earrings, necklaces, paintings and seemingly every other artifact that can be found in Egypt.

• Includes pictures of historic artwork depicting Nefertiti and important people, places, and events.
• Discusses the mysteries and controversies surrounding Nefertiti's life, death, and place of burial.
• Includes a Bibliography for further reading.