Lebanese Ministry of Information
The tomb of Thutmose II, the last undiscovered king of the 18th dynasty, has been located in the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis.
It is the first time in over a century, since the unearthing of Tutankhamun’s tomb, archaeologists have discovered the final resting place of another Egyptian pharaoh.
Who was Thutmose II?
Thutmose II was the husband as well as the half-brother of Hatshepsut, considered one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs. He is believed to have ruled for around four years, and fathered one child, Thutmose III.
Sometime before Year 6 of Thutmose III’s reign, archaeological evidence suggests there was a catastrophic flood in this tomb after which the contents were moved to a second tomb.
The discovery by the mission of an intact foundation deposit suggests that this second tomb is hidden in the same valley – casting doubt on the identity of the CG61066 body found in the Royal Cache in 1881 and previously identified as Thutmose II….
Minister of tourism and antiquities Sherif Fathy said: “This is the first royal tomb to be discovered since the ground-breaking find of King Tutankhamun’s burial chamber in 1922.
“It is an extraordinary moment for Egyptology and the broader understanding of our shared human story.”
The Independent
