Maia may be older sister of King Tutankhamun

One of the clay pots has been found inside Maia tomb at Saqqara under the name of "lady of ladies", an evidence that made the archaeological team to think that Maia was not only the foster nurse of King Tutankhamun but she was in a greater position, said Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el Damaty.

In statements following opening the tomb on Sunday, the minister said that the clay pot was discovered during work conducted over the past period at Maia tomb in Saqqara.

There is a possibility that Maia may be the older sister of King Tutankhamun, because a relief uncovered on the royal tomb in Tel Al Amarna shows the burying process of Meket Atun, the elder daughter of the monotheistic king Akhenaten. In the relief, Princess Meritte Atun is shown holding a young child breast feeding him, he added.

This child could be king Tutankhamun, he said, adding that through a survey on the Maia tomb and comparing its results with the survey carried out on the boy king tomb, would definitely contribute to uncovering more of Tutankhamun's secrets.

Tutankhamun died aged 19 in 1324 BC after just nine years on the throne. His final resting place was discovered by another British Egyptologist, Howard Carter, in 1922.