Archaeologists in Egypt have announced the discovery of the tomb of King Thutmose II, the last missing royal tomb of the 18th Dynasty.
The resting place of King Thutmose II, who ruled around 3,500 years ago, was uncovered in west Luxor which is known as the Valley of the Kings. The discovery marks the first time in 100 years that a royal tomb in Egypt has been found, the previous discovery being Tutankhamun‘s burial place.
A joint Egyptian-British archaeological mission discovered the missing tomb during excavation and research work at Tomb C4, whose entrance and main corridor were initially discovered in 2022 in the C Valley, located approximately 2.4 kilometers west of the Valley of the Kings in Luxor’s western mountain region. New evidence definitively identified the tomb as belonging to Pharaoh Thutmose II.
Dr Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that fragments of vessels bore inscriptions identifying Thutmose II as the deceased king, alongside the name of his wife, Hatshepsut.
The tomb in Egypt was found in a poor state
King Thutmose’s remains, however, were found in the 19th century not too far from the tomb. Archaeologists suggest the mummy was likely moved centuries after the tomb was looted.
The tomb was found in a poor state of preservation due to its exposure to floods shortly after the king’s death, which caused pieces of mortar to fall from the interior.
The structure features a corridor with a floor covered with a layer of white plaster, leading to the burial chamber in the main corridor of the tomb where the floor level is about five feet higher than the floor of the chamber itself.
Archaeologists also discovered remnants of blue inscriptions and yellow stars, as well as decorations and paragraphs from the religious book ‘IImydwat’ that was placed in the tomb of kings.
“The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities described this discovery as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in recent years, as the artifacts discovered there are an important addition to the history of the archaeological area and the reign of King Thutmose II,” archaeologists shared.
They also noted that their excavations produced the first funerary furniture of this king, unlike King Tut whose tomb was filled with 5,000 items.
King Thutmose II was the fourth Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt
King Thutmose II was the fourth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, and his reign is thought to be 13 years, 1493 to 1479 BC, or just three years from around 1482 to 1479 BC. He died at the age of 30.
Egypt’s Eighteenth Dynasty, however, reigned for more than 200 years.
Archaeologists noted that Thutmose’s tomb was the last of the lost kings of that era, but has been seen as less important compared to his father, Thutmose I, son, Thutmose III, and wife, Queen Hatshepsut.
Thutmose I was the first pharaoh to cut his tomb in the Valley of the Kings, while Thutmose III was known as “the Napoleon of Egypt” for his conquests and expansionism.
And Queen Hatshepsut made a name for herself due to being a female pharaoh, but also expanding trade and commissioning many building projects.
However, King Thutmose II is known for suppressing an uprise in Nubia and leading armies to stop rebels in the Levant.
Related: 7 Misconceptions About Ancient Egypt You Didn’t Know