Luxor, Egypt – In a groundbreaking discovery, a British-Egyptian archaeological team has uncovered the long-lost tomb of King Thutmose II, marking the first time a pharaoh’s burial site has been found since the legendary tomb of Tutankhamun was revealed over a century ago.

The team, led by Dr. Piers Litherland of the New Kingdom Research Foundation, located the tomb in the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis near Luxor.

Previously, scholars believed that the burial sites of early 18th dynasty pharaohs were situated over two kilometers away in the famed Valley of the Kings. However, the latest findings have rewritten history.

The tomb was initially found in an area associated with the burials of royal women. Upon entry, archaeologists discovered a key indicator of a pharaoh’s resting place—a ceiling painted in blue with yellow stars, a distinctive feature exclusive to royal tombs.

“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,” said Dr. Litherland.

He described the moment of discovery as an emotional experience. “The emotion of getting into these things is just one of extraordinary bewilderment… When I came out, my wife was waiting outside, and the only thing I could do was burst into tears.”

Thutmose II, who ruled approximately 3,500 years ago from 1493 to 1479 BCE, was the husband of Queen Hatshepsut, one of Egypt’s most renowned female pharaohs.

While his mummified remains were discovered two centuries ago, the location of his original burial had remained a mystery—until now.

The tomb’s grand architecture, featuring a large staircase and a descending corridor, was indicative of its royal occupant.

However, when the team finally accessed the burial chamber after clearing debris and navigating through a collapsed passageway, they found it completely empty.

Dr. Litherland explained that this was not the result of tomb robbers but rather a deliberate relocation. Evidence suggests that shortly after Thutmose II’s burial, the tomb was flooded due to its unfortunate placement beneath a waterfall, prompting ancient Egyptians to move its contents elsewhere.

Despite the absence of a sarcophagus or treasure, archaeologists uncovered fragments of alabaster jars bearing the inscriptions of Thutmose II and Hatshepsut.

These fragments provided conclusive evidence linking the tomb to the pharaoh. “Thank goodness they actually did break one or two things because that’s how we found out whose tomb it was,” Dr. Litherland said.

This remarkable discovery concludes over 12 years of work by the New Kingdom Research Foundation and Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The team has excavated 54 tombs in the Theban mountain region and identified over 30 royal wives and court women.

“This is the first royal tomb to be discovered since the groundbreaking find of King Tutankhamun’s burial chamber in 1922,” said Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sherif Fathy.

“It is an extraordinary moment for Egyptology and the broader understanding of our shared human story.”

Dr. Litherland and his team now believe they may have identified the location of the second tomb where Thutmose II’s remains were transferred, raising the possibility of further discoveries that could shed new light on ancient Egypt’s royal burials.

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