Egyptian officials have announced the discovery of the tomb of King Thutmose II in the Thebes area, west of Luxor, calling it the first major discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamun was found in 1922, Al Jazeera reports.
The find, made by Egyptian archaeologists in collaboration with British experts, is hailed as a significant addition to our understanding of ancient Egypt.
The tomb, located near the renowned Valley of the Kings, is approximately 3,500 years old. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), described the discovery as one of the most important in Egypt in decades.
Initial investigations three years ago, upon finding the tomb’s entrance, led the team to believe it could belong to one of the wives of the kings, given its location near the tombs of King Thutmose III’s wives and Queen Hatshepsut.
According to Mohamed Abdel Badie, head of the Egyptian archaeological team, the poor condition of the tomb due to flooding further complicated efforts to determine its ownership.
However, the discovery of artifacts within the tomb, including fragments of alabaster jars bearing inscriptions with the names of Thutmose II and his principal wife, Queen Hatshepsut, provided definitive proof of the tomb’s occupant.
Experts have also concluded that Queen Hatshepsut, who was both Thutmose II’s wife and half-sister, supervised his burial.
Egyptian authorities emphasized that the discovered artifacts represent important additions to the existing knowledge of the area’s history and the reign of Thutmose II.
The excavation, which began in 2022, has been conducted in collaboration with experts from the New Kingdom Research Foundation in the UK.
The mummy of King Thutmose II itself was previously discovered in the 19th century at the Deir el-Bahari Cachette, a separate archaeological site. It had likely been moved there centuries after tomb raiders looted the original tomb, according to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. His mummy is currently on display at the museum, alongside those of other ancient Egyptian royals.
