A joint Egyptian-British archaeological mission, led by the Supreme Council of Antiquities and the New Kingdom Research Foundation, has uncovered the long-lost tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II—one of the last missing royal tombs from Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. The discovery was made during excavations at Tomb C4 in Valley C, located in the Theban Mountains west of Luxor, approximately 2.4 kilometers from the Valley of the Kings. Initial findings suggest clear evidence confirming that the tomb belonged to Thutmose II.
Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy, praised the excavation efforts, emphasizing the significance of this discovery in revealing more of Egypt’s rich heritage. He noted that this is the first royal tomb to be uncovered since the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.
According to Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, when the team first located the tomb’s entrance and main corridor in October 2022, they initially believed it belonged to a royal consort, given its proximity to the tombs of the wives of Thutmose III and the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut’s tomb was originally prepared for her as a royal consort before she assumed the throne and was later buried in the Valley of the Kings. However, as excavations progressed, new archaeological evidence confirmed that the tomb belonged to Pharaoh Thutmose II and that Queen Hatshepsut—his wife and half-sister—was responsible for his burial.
Key findings within the tomb included fragments of alabaster vessels inscribed with the name of Thutmose II, referring to him as the “deceased king.” Additionally, inscriptions bearing the name of his principal wife, Hatshepsut, further reinforced the tomb’s identification.
Dr. Khaled described the discovery as one of the most significant archaeological finds in recent years. Notably, this is the first time that funerary furniture belonging to Thutmose II has been found, as no such artifacts have been documented in museums worldwide.
However, according to Mohamed Abdel Badi, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector and the mission’s co-leader on the Egyptian side, the tomb was in a poor state of preservation. Shortly after the king’s burial, the tomb was hit by floods, submerging its contents under water. The excavation team carefully recovered and restored fallen plaster fragments. Preliminary studies indicate that the tomb’s original contents were likely relocated in antiquity due to flood damage.
Among the recovered fragments were blue-painted decorations with golden stars, along with excerpts from the ancient Egyptian funerary text “Amduat” (Book of the Underworld), a sacred text found in royal tombs of the New Kingdom.
Dr. Piers Litherland, head of the British team, highlighted the tomb’s architectural significance, describing it as a simple yet pioneering design that influenced the tombs of later 18th Dynasty rulers. The structure features a white-plastered corridor leading to the burial chamber, with the tomb’s floor level rising approximately 1.4 meters above the chamber itself. Archaeologists believe this design was intended to facilitate the removal of the tomb’s contents—including the king’s remains—following the flood damage.
The excavation team has been working at the site for two years and will continue its investigations to uncover more details about the area and determine where the tomb’s original contents were relocated.
Photos credit Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
