The modern technology we’ve created over the years has led us to some fabulous discoveries along the way. The CT scan, for instance, has made disease detection possible and faster, which has led to millions of lives saved from eminent doom. Just this past month, this magnificent machine has led to a discovery in the ancient arts as well; it found a change was made to a very significant statue from ancient Egypt. The statue is the only known likeness of Queen Nefertiti.
The scan took place in Munich, Germany led by Dr. Alexander Huppertz, Director of the Imaging Science Institute at Berlin’s Charite Hospital and Medical School. This discovery shows that the stucco exterior actually differs from the stone statue that lies beneath the façade. Until the discovery of this machine, we never would have known there were layers to it unless we drilled a hole in it which would inevitably destroy the art.
Nefertiti’s bust has only small changes to the queen’s face. The stone beneath has small creases by the queen’s mouth and a bump on the nose, which isn’t included on the stucco façade. Until this discovery no one thought anything of the stone inside; it was thought to be just a brace for the stucco, which we now know is not true.
Why her face was changed and so ordered by whom, will forever lie in mystery. More than likely it was the queen herself who probably felt those were flaws and didn’t want them included on this statue, immortalizing her presence on Earth. Since it’s there, we can gather from the evidence that these flaws existed, giving us a more accurate look of what Queen Neferiti looked like.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen modern technology used on art. When I was at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut this past November, I discovered scientists had x-rayed many famous paintings. They found a completely different picture underneath or found simple to multiple changes to the picture covered over with layers of paint.
Either way, the findings are astounding. This technology allows us to study and examine art closely without having to destroy it with tools and our hands. It opens a whole new world for art studies, and gives us an in depth look at the flaws of the masters.
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