Last month archaeologists announced the discovery of the tomb of Thutmose II in a valley to the west of Luxor. The find marks the first discovery of a Pharaoh’s tomb by a British-led excavation since Howard Carter opened the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. The tomb of Thutmose II was the last pharaonic tomb of the 18th dynasty, of which Tutankhamun was also a member, that remained undiscovered.

Thutmose II reigned during the 15th century BC. He is perhaps best known as the husband of Hatshepsut, who was one of ancient Egypt’s few female Pharaohs and widely regarded as one of its greatest. The temple which bears her name is, in the eyes of many, the most magnificent of the temples still standing on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor. Fragments of alabaster jars, bearing the inscriptions of Thutmose II and Queen Hatshepsut were found in the tomb. 

According to archaeologists, the reason the tomb’s location remained elusive for so long is that it was expected to be much closer to the valley of the kings, where the majority of pharaonic tombs can be found. The actual site turned out to be some 2km away from where the excavators had been looking until recently. The tomb is also located in an area more associated with the burial chambers of royal women, but the markings inside clearly identify it with the 18th dynasty Pharaoh. “Part of the ceiling was still intact: a blue-painted ceiling with yellow stars on it. And blue-painted ceilings with yellow stars are only found in kings’ tombs,” the mission’s field director Piers Litherland told the BBC. The tomb was almost entirely empty, not due to robbers but due to being deliberately evacuated in ancient times, likely to protect its contents from flooding, of which the tomb shows significant signs. 

The discovery of the tomb is the result of some 12 years of work by Mr Litherland’s New Kingdom Research Foundation and Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Litherland added that his team have a good idea where a second tomb may be located, which may still house the treasures removed from Thutmoses II’s original burial place. 

There are those who shed doubt on the circumstances around the apparent discovery of the tomb however, with some Egyptologists pointing out that the actual discovery took place more than two years ago. Sara Ahmed, an Egyptologist working at the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), spoke to Tamooda about the Tomb’s “discovery.”

“I think it’s impressive that they were able to confirm the identity of the tomb owner now,” she said. “The key word here is ‘identification' because the joint team had suspected it belonged to Thutmose II since 2022. It seems the tomb was found in poor condition, but the Egyptology community is lucky so many inscriptions were left to identify the Dynasty 18 figure as well as his royal consort. It could reveal a lot about workmanship, layout, labor, decoration, and funerary culture in ancient Egypt.”

“As for the timing,” she continued, “it is well known that the Ministry [of Tourism and Antiquities] announces updates and discoveries when the time is right. Since a big focus is now bolstering the touristic landscape, and adding more historical sites for tourists to possibly visit in the future to the roster, the announcements refresh public awareness that there is a lot still going on and much to uncover in Egypt. In a way, it helps to remember that the greatest discoveries weren’t the ones made in the past solely.”

Other Egyptologists were somewhat more suspicious of the timing of the revelation. A number of experts who wished to remain anonymous, opined to Tamooda that the Egyptian government is likely sharing this news now in order to distract from some other matter that may negatively impact public opinion or the country’s tourism industry. Human rights, the poorly performing Egyptian economy, and the government’s handling of the war in Gaza on Egypt’s northern border, were all suggested as potential matters from which the government is seeking to distract the public and press. 

Whatever the truth of these allegations, the confirmation of the final resting place of Thutmose II will delight Egyptologists around the world. It is a significant piece of a fascinating puzzle, dating back some 3,500 years.