A significant discovery in Egypt’s storied archaeological record may have just unveiled a long-hidden royal secret. A British-Egyptian team led by renowned University of Cambridge archaeologist Piers Litherland has identified what appears to be a second tomb belonging to King Thutmose II, an ancient ruler whose legacy is intertwined with that of his illustrious wife, Queen Hatshepsut. This potential find arrives just days after a remarkable discovery of a tomb that rivalled the historic unearthing of Tutankhamun’s resting place over a century ago.
Hidden beneath a 23 metre mound
The intriguing site is believed to lie beneath a 23-metre mound—a carefully constructed pile of limestone, ash, rubble, and mud plaster. Ancient Egyptians engineered this structure to mimic a natural mountain, thereby concealing the hidden burial chamber within the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis near Luxor. The original tomb, located behind a waterfall, is thought to have been flooded just six years after Thutmose II’s interment, prompting the relocation of his funerary remains to this secondary sanctuary.
Cambridge Archaeologist
Litherland, who has spoken candidly about the emotional impact of the discovery, explained that the decorated burial chamber, featuring a blue-painted ceiling adorned with yellow stars—a hallmark exclusively reserved for kings—has convinced the team of its royal association. “Part of the ceiling was still intact, a rare survival that speaks volumes about the craftsmanship and significance of the tomb,” he remarked. The possibility that this chamber may still house the pharaoh’s mummified body has generated renewed debate among Egyptologists, particularly given that the mummy displayed at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, long attributed to Thutmose II, has faced questions regarding its true identity.
Further discoveries to be made
The search for a second resting place is further bolstered by a posthumous inscription discovered in the initial tomb, suggesting that the contents might have been moved by Thutmose II’s wife and half-sister, Hatshepsut, who is celebrated as one of Egypt’s most formidable female rulers. With excavation now proceeding by hand—after initial tunnelling methods were abandoned due to safety concerns—the team anticipates a month-long effort to fully reveal the tomb’s secrets.
This potential discovery not only deepens our understanding of ancient Egyptian burial practices but also promises to shed new light on the lineage and historical narrative of one of Egypt’s enigmatic pharaohs. Experts and historians eagerly anticipate further insights from ongoing excavations, expecting the groundbreaking find to transform our comprehensive understanding of ancient pharaonic funerary traditions.
