The tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh has been discovered for the primary time since Tutankhamun was found in 1922.
In what has been dubbed a “remarkable discovery”, the tomb of Thutmose II, the final lacking royal tomb of the 18th dynasty, was discovered within the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis in Egypt.
The tomb was uncovered by a joint British-Egyptian mission, about 1.5 miles west of the Valley of the Kings in Luxor’s western mountain area.
Objects recovered from the mission included fragments of alabaster jars (used to retailer perfumes, oils, and ointments) inscribed with the title Pharaoh Thutmose II, in addition to inscriptions bearing the title of his spouse Queen Hatshepsut – who grew to become considered one of Egypt’s few feminine pharaohs who dominated in her personal proper.
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Objects discovered within the tomb of Thutmose II. Pic: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
For the primary time ever, funeral furnishings belonging to the pharaoh was discovered, in accordance with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. No funeral furnishings of Thutmose II at present exists in any museum worldwide.
The mission was shaped by the New Kingdom Analysis Basis (NKRF), a British impartial tutorial basis, and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, a undertaking affiliated to the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Analysis on the College of Cambridge.
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Pic: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
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Pic: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
“This discovery solves a great mystery of Ancient Egypt: the location of the tombs of the early 18th dynasty kings,” stated mission chief and discipline director Piers Litherland.
“The tomb of this ancestor of Tutankhamun had never been found because it was always thought to be at the other end of the mountain near the Valley of the Kings.
“Initially we thought we would have discovered the tomb of a royal spouse, however the huge staircase and the massive doorway advised one thing extra essential.
“The discovery that the burial chamber had been decorated with scenes from the Amduat, a religious text which is reserved for kings, was immensely exciting and was the first indication that this was a king’s tomb.”
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Pic: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Thutmose II died 3,500 years in the past. He’s believed to have dominated for round 14 years, from about 1493 to 1479 BCE, and fathered one little one, Thutmose III.
Mohamed Abdel Badi, head of the Egyptian antiquities sector and co-leader of the mission, stated the tomb was found in a poor state because of flooding that occurred shortly after the pharaoh’s demise.
Archaeological proof suggests the contents have been moved to a second tomb because of the flood.
Mohsen Kamel, assistant discipline director, stated: “The possible existence of a second, and most likely intact, tomb of Thutmose II is an astonishing possibility.”
