In a historical discovery, archaeologists discovered the first royal tomb of a pharaoh since the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun over a century ago.
The tomb of King Thutmose II, the last unknown royal tomb of the 18th Egyptian dynasty, was found by a British-Egyptian team in the western valleys of the Thebaine necropolis, near Luxor.
For years, researchers thought that the graves of the pharaohs of the 18th dynasty were located more than 2 km, in the Valley of Kings. However, the team discovered the tomb in an area generally associated with royal female rest areas.
Upon entering the funeral chamber, they found key signs of a royal tomb, including a ceiling painted in blue with yellow stars – a characteristic of the graves of pharaohs.
The field director, Dr. Piers litherland, expressed his deep emotional response to discovery. “The emotion of entering these things is only an extraordinary suffocation”, “the only thing I could do was melted in tears.”
The tomb of King Thutmose II has recently been discovered by a joint British-Egyptian archaeological mission.
The discovery of the tomb of Thutmose II resolves the mystery of the location of the royal tombs at the beginning of the 18th dynasty. Although the mummified remains of Thutmose II were discovered two centuries ago, his grave had remained elusive so far. Thutmose II, the husband of the famous Queen Hatshepsy, was an ancestor of Tutankhamun.
The reign of Thutmose II was marked by his marriage to Hatshepsut, one of the most powerful and influential female pharaohs in Egypt. Dr. Litherland noted the greatness of the design of the tomb, which included a large staircase and a descending corridor. The team sailed through flood debris and collapsed from the ceilings before entering the funeral chamber, where they discovered scenes from the Amduat, a religious text reserved for kings.
Photo: Location and entry into the royal tomb of King Thutmose II which reigned three thousand years ago / New Kingdom Research Foundation
However, when the team cleared the debris, they found that the tomb was empty, not because it had been stolen, but because it had been deliberately emptied after the floods caused by a waterfall. The artefacts have found that, in particular fragments of alabaster pots inscribed with the names of Thutmose II and Hathepsut, confirmed the identity of the tomb.
These fragments of the alabaster, which had broken during the relocation of the tomb, were crucial to check the owner of the tomb. Dr. Litherland and his team, who have been working on the site for over 12 years, now believe that a second tomb can still be intact and may contain treasures.
Photo: fragments of the alabaster ship of Pharaoh Thutmose II / Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
The discovery is part of the joint work of the New Litherland of the New Kingdom Research Foundation and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, which previously found 54 tombs and identified more than 30 royal women and court women.
“It is the first royal tomb to be discovered since the tomb of King Tutankhamon in 1922,” said Sherif Fathy, Egyptian Minister for Tourism and Antiquities. “This discovery is a decisive moment for Egyptology and offers a more in -depth understanding of our shared human history.”
The role and inheritance of Thutmose II
Thutmose II, the fourth sovereign of the 18th dynasty, reigned at the beginning of the 15th century BCE and perhaps remembers the husband of Hathepsut, one of the greatest female pharaohs in Egypt. Despite his relatively short reign, Thutmose II played a crucial role in consolidating the power of Egypt and the continuity of the dynasty.
Although the reign of Thutmose II is not marked by significant military conquests, it led campaigns in the southern regions of Egypt and the country of Kush (modern Sudan). However, his reign is often considered to be overshadowed by the long and prosperous rule of Hatshepsut after his death.
Interestingly, after the death of Thutmose II, Hatshepsut became the only leader of Egypt, leading certain historians to suggest that Thutmose II was a weak sovereign who played little role in governance. In fact, some believe that Hatshepsut assumed the role of de facto sovereign long before his death.
Although the grave of Thutmose II is modest compared to those of subsequent pharaohs, its discovery gives new light on its role in the 18th dynasty and its relationship with Hathepsut. His military campaigns in the South and the monument dedicated to his reign, which was probably completed by Hathepsut, underlines the political dynamic of their time.
Inheritance and continuous discovery
The empty tomb, as well as its unique location near the tombs of the royal wives, offers a precious overview of the status of Thutmose II during its reign. This discovery, although less grand than the tomb of Tutankhamun, will strengthen the understanding of the political landscape of ancient Egypt and the important roles of Thutmose II and Hatshepsut.
The excavation of the tomb of Thutmose II is only the beginning. Researchers suspect that there may be additional royal graves awaiting discovery in the region, perhaps containing treasures and other important artifacts of the reign of the 18th dynasty.
The Dr. Litherland team, working with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, will continue their efforts to explore the region and discover more the secrets of the former Egyptian leaders.
