Egypt Daily News – Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, commented on the success of the joint Egyptian-British archaeological mission, comprising the council and the Egyptian Modern State Research Foundation, that the Tomb of King Thutmose II has been discovered, the last missing tomb of the Eighteenth Dynasty kings in Egypt. He stated, “We are witnessing a new archaeological discovery that scholars have long awaited, especially since Thutmose II’s tomb was among the undiscovered ones.”
Dr. Khaled explained that Thutmose II was one of the kings of the Eighteenth Dynasty, which represents the golden age of the pharaohs. This era began with Ahmose, the expeller of the Hyksos, and continued with renowned kings and queens such as Tutankhamun, Hatshepsut, and Thutmose II, who was married to Queen Hatshepsut before Thutmose III assumed the throne after her death.
He added that the tomb is largely intact, but floods that occurred in the Pharaonic era completely destroyed it, causing inscriptions to fall to the ground, necessitating restoration efforts.
Regarding its discovery, he explained that the archaeological mission was working in the area when they accidentally found the entrance to the tomb. Initially, they believed it belonged to one of the queens or royal wives, but upon entering, they found funerary furniture inscribed with the king’s name, titles, and the name of Queen Hatshepsut. This confirmed that the tomb belonged to King Thutmose II.
However the sad news is that archaeologists believe that Thutmose II’s tomb had been looted, “It is possible that it was looted, or that the severe floods in the Pharaonic era destroyed many of its artifacts.”
Dr. Khaled added, “Since the priests of the Twenty-First Dynasty relocated the mummy, it is possible that the funerary furniture was also moved to another site that has not yet been discovered.”
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities described the discovery as one of the most significant archaeological finds in recent years. He emphasized that the newly discovered artifacts are a valuable addition to the history of the region and the reign of King Thutmose II. Notably, this is the first time that his funerary furniture has been found, as none of his burial items are preserved in museums worldwide.
He concluded, “All these discoveries confirm that Egyptian civilization is still full of secrets and that there is much more yet to be uncovered. We are still searching for the tombs of Nefertiti and Ramses VIII.”
