Egyptian authorities have announced the discovery of the long-lost tomb of King Thutmose II, marking the first royal burial site found in over a century.
Archaeologists uncover crucial missing piece to Ancient Egyptian history
The discovery was made by a joint Egyptian-British archaeological team on the Mount of Thebes, west of Luxor, near the renowned Valley of the Kings, per reports from CBS News.
The tomb, previously known as C4, had long been a mystery, but new evidence confirms that it belongs to Thutmose II, a pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty, which ruled Egypt between 1550 BC and 1292 BC.
This makes it the first Egyptian royal tomb to be identified since the famed discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.
According to Dr Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, the tomb’s entrance and main passage were initially found in 2022, but it took years of careful excavation to identify the tomb’s true owner.
“When we first discovered the entrance, we believed it could belong to a queen or a royal wife,” said Khaled.
This assumption was based on the tomb’s location near the resting places of royal wives and Queen Hatshepsut, who was both the wife and half-sister of Thutmose II.
However, as excavations progressed, new evidence pointed directly to King Thutmose II himself.
Experts believe that Hatshepsut, who later became one of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs, was responsible for overseeing Thutmose II’s burial rites. This strengthens historical theories about Hatshepsut’s influence during and after her husband’s reign.
The tomb, which was built under waterfalls, has suffered from centuries of flooding, causing significant damage. Despite this, archaeologists have uncovered artefacts, inscriptions, and architectural details that provide crucial insights into a period of Egyptian history that remains largely overshadowed by more famous rulers.
Who was King Thutmose II?
King Thutmose II was a pharaoh of Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty, ruling between 1493 BC and 1479 BC. His reign was relatively short, and estimated to have lasted between three and thirteen years. Historical records suggest that he died before the age of 30.
Despite being a ruler of one of Egypt’s most powerful dynasties, Thutmose II remains a somewhat mysterious figure. His reign is often overshadowed by his father, Thutmose I, his wife Hatshepsut, and his son and successor, Thutmose III.
Few monuments and inscriptions mention Thutmose II, making his rule difficult to reconstruct. However, historical accounts suggest that he faced internal revolts and relied heavily on Hatshepsut, who later became one of the most influential female pharaohs in Egyptian history.
Thutmose II’s mummified remains were found in the Deir el-Bahri Cache, above the famous Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, during the 19th century. However, his original tomb had remained undiscovered—until now.
The newly confirmed tomb of Thutmose II provides vital clues about Egypt’s royal burials and strengthens existing historical theories about the Eighteenth Dynasty’s power struggles.
Archaeologists continue to analyse the site, hoping that more discoveries will shed light on his reign, burial, and the role Hatshepsut played in securing his legacy.
