Egypt’s antiquities authorities have announced the discovery of the tomb of King Thutmose II, marking the first royal burial site uncovered since the famed 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Situated near the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, southern Egypt, the tomb dates back approximately 3,500 years and belonged to Thutmose II, a ruler of the 18th dynasty. He was an ancestor of Tutankhamun and the half-brother of Queen Hatshepsut, who also became his consort. Her grand mortuary temple, located a few kilometers away on Luxor’s west bank, remains one of Egypt’s most renowned ancient structures.
Initial findings suggest that the tomb’s contents were moved in antiquity, leaving it without a royal mummy or the lavish treasures found in Tutankhamun’s burial site. Despite this, Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities has described the discovery as one of the most significant archaeological breakthroughs in recent years.
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The excavation was carried out by a joint Egyptian-British team under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the New Kingdom Research Foundation.
The entrance to the tomb was first identified in 2022 within the Luxor mountains west of the Valley of the Kings. Initially, researchers believed it belonged to a royal wife, but further examination uncovered alabaster jar fragments inscribed with Thutmose II’s name, alongside inscriptions referencing Queen Hatshepsut, confirming it as the king’s final resting place.
Shortly after Thutmose II’s burial, floodwaters entered the chamber, damaging its interior and leaving behind fragments of plaster with sections of the Book of Amduat, an ancient text describing the journey through the underworld.
Among the discoveries were pieces of funerary furniture belonging to Thutmose II, marking the first-ever such find. Dr. Piers Latherland, head of the excavation team, stated that further exploration is planned in hopes of uncovering more of the tomb’s original artifacts.
