Discovery of Another Pharaoh's Tomb in Ancient Egypt

The tomb of one of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, who ruled approximately 3,500 years ago, has been discovered. This is the first time in 103 years that a pharaoh's tomb has been found in this ancient land. The Egyptian Minister of Antiquities called this discovery 'a significant moment' for research into understanding Egypt and its ancient history, as well as for a broader understanding of human history. Pearce Litterland, the head of the excavation team, stated that his team was astonished by the discovery and that he himself shed tears of joy. On Tuesday, February 19, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced in a statement that the tomb of Thutmose II, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, was discovered as part of a joint investigation between Egypt and Britain. Thutmose II, or Thutmosis II, was the fourth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, ruling for 13 years from 1492 to 1479 BC. The tomb of Thutmose II was discovered after 12 years of excavation in the area of the Mountain of the Good, west of Luxor, which was previously known as the Valley of the Kings. It was previously thought that only the tombs of the pharaohs' wives were located in West Luxor, especially since the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut and the tombs of the wives of Pharaoh Thutmose III were in this area. The research team first discovered the entrance and main corridor of this tomb in 2022, and archaeologists believed that the tomb might belong to one of the pharaohs' wives. Since then, excavations inside this site have continued with great care. Mr. Litterland told CNN on March 1 that the tomb was poorly located, beneath two waterfalls and at the lower part of a slope in an area with very humid air. According to this archaeologist, the discovery of the tomb does not provide much information about the life of Thutmose II; however, it does indicate that he was buried by Queen Hatshepsut and not by his son, who was an infant at the time and later became Thutmose III. Kings were required to bury the deceased pharaoh themselves. Hatshepsut is noted in history as Thutmose II's half-sister, whom the pharaoh also chose as his wife. According to Pearce Litterland, Thutmose II's burial by the reigning queen could explain why the young Thutmose III was 'very eager' to distance himself from the queen and emphasize his connections with his father and grandfather. Queen Hatshepsut, who relied heavily on her husband in governance, ruled for a time after Thutmose II's death, who died at only 30 years of age, before handing over the reign to her son, Thutmose III. Mr. Litterland stated that the simple architectural design of the tomb is similar to examples of tombs that kings chose for themselves after Thutmose II. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, said that the discovery of this tomb is one of the most important archaeological advancements in recent years, and the artifacts found in the tomb will help in understanding the history of the region and the reign of the kings of ancient times. Mohamed Abd El-Badi, head of the antiquities department in Egypt who oversaw this archaeological mission, stated that the tomb has been poorly preserved, and flooding shortly after Thutmose II's death caused water to enter it, which is why the mummified body and other contents of the tomb had been moved to another location. Blue inscriptions, yellow star motifs, parts of an ancient book, and a religious text related to the royal tombs of ancient Egypt were also found in this tomb. Fragments of inscriptions bearing the name 'the deceased king' and his wife's name were also discovered at the site. Archaeologists' efforts in this area to recover the displaced contents of the tomb and other potential secrets of ancient Egyptian history will continue. The mummified body of Thutmose II was discovered in the 19th century at a site called 'the hiding place of Deir el-Bahari,' not far from the new discovery, following looting by antiquities thieves, and has been on display at the National Museum of Egypt for decades, attracting many visitors and tourists to the country. The last time a tomb was discovered was in 1922, when the tomb of Tutankhamun, the pharaoh who ruled from 1361 to 1352 BC, was found, which remains the best-preserved tomb from ancient Egypt to this day.