Archaeologists Make Historic Find in Egypt Unlike Any Since King Tut
The discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 remains one of Egyptology's most significant archaeological finds. Now, more than a century later, researchers have made only the second discovery of such magnitude in the region.
On Feb. 18, Egyptian officials announced the discovery of the tomb of King Thutmose II, making it the last of the lost tombs of the kings of Egypt's Eighteenth Dynasty that reigned between 1550 and 1292 B.C.E. and the first royal Egyptian tomb to be discovered since that of King Tut more than a century ago.
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The final resting place was found in the area of the ancient city of Thebes located west of Luxor and the iconic Valley of the Kings. The tomb's entrance and main passage were discovered in 2022, but up until now, researchers haven't been able to find evidence explicitly linking the tomb to King Thutmose II. Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said archaeologists previously believed it could've belonged to one of the wives of the kings given its proximity to the tombs of Queen Hatshepsut and the wives of King Thutmose III, per CBS News.
The team confirmed the structure belonged to Thutmose II after finding parts of alabaster vessels in the ruins inscribed with King Thutmose II's name and description as the "deceased king" as well as the name of Queen Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was Thutmose II's wife and half-sister who ascended to the pharaoh's throne in tandem with Thutmose II and then her son Thutmose III.
The mummy of King Thutmose II, however, was found a long time ago. It was first discovered in the 19th century at the nearby Deir el-Bahari archaeological site, where the body was likely moved after the tomb was looted by raiders, according to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. His mummy, along with those of other ancient Egyptian royals, are now on display at the museum in Cairo.
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