Egyptian authorities have announced the discovery of the tomb of King Thutmose II, the first royal tomb to be unearthed in Egypt since the famous discovery of King Tutankhamun in 1922.
A joint Egyptian-British archaeological team found the tomb on Mount Thebes, near the Valley of the Kings, west of Luxor. Previously identified only as Tomb C4, the site was confirmed to be Thutmose II after extensive excavations.
A Long-Lost Royal Tomb
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that when researchers first uncovered the entrance and main passage in 2022, they suspected it could belong to a royal wife, given its proximity to the tombs of King Thutmose III’s wives and Queen Hatshepsut. But later excavations have unearthed artifacts bearing Thutmose II’s name, confirming his ownership.
Khaled noted that some of the plaster vessels found in the tomb contained inscriptions describing Thutmose II as a “deceased king” and mentioning his wife, Queen Hatshepsut, who likely oversaw the funeral.
Archaeologists see this as a major breakthrough, shedding new light on the historical significance of Thutmose II’s reign and the Eighteenth Dynasty, which ruled Egypt from about 1550 BC to 1292 BC.
A Difficult Conservation Effort
While the discovery is significant, experts say the tomb is in poor condition due to ancient floods that caused extensive damage. Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of Egypt’s Antiquities Sector, said much of the tomb’s original contents were likely moved in antiquity.
However, the tomb contained traces of blue and yellow inscriptions and passages from the ancient Egyptian funerary text “Imydwat.” These inscriptions were to guide the deceased in the afterlife.
While Thutmose II’s mummy was discovered at Deir el-Bahari in the 19th century, this newly confirmed tomb adds another chapter to the ongoing research into Egypt’s ancient past. Archaeologists hope that further research will reveal more details about Thutmose II’s reign and burial.