Thutmose II's lost tomb unveiled: Echoes of Tutankhamun discovery
This discovery rivals that of Tutankhamun. Archaeologists have discovered the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II along with burial pottery. The find was made to the west of the Valley of the Kings by a joint team of Egyptian and British archaeologists.
A true sensation in Egypt - the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II, who ruled Egypt approximately 3,500 years ago, has been uncovered, hidden within the rock. This is the first discovery of a pharaoh's tomb since the tomb of Tutankhamun was uncovered in 1922, according to a report by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in a statement. The inscription of Thutmose II's name on the pottery found at the burial site enabled archaeologists to identify the tomb.
Thutmose II is perhaps best known for being married to his half-sister, Hatshepsut. After his death, Hatshepsut ascended to the throne as pharaoh. However, unlike Tutankhamun's burial, the newly discovered tomb is nearly empty and contains no body. Archaeologists determined that the tomb was flooded shortly after Thutmose II's burial, causing the funerary items to be relocated. His mummy was discovered in the 19th century in an underground cache near Hatshepsut's temple, along with many other royal mummies. It is now housed in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.
The tomb was discovered earlier
The discoverers report that the tomb is approximately 29 metres long and includes a burial chamber measuring about 5 by 5 by 3 metres. "The entire contents of the tomb had been removed. The tomb was not robbed," said Piers Litherland, an Egyptologist from the University of Cambridge and one of the team leaders who discovered the tomb, to the Live Science portal.
Archaeologists first encountered the tomb in October 2022, but it was only at the end of the 2024 excavation season and the beginning of 2025, after analysing pottery bearing Thutmose II's name, that researchers were able to identify the burial site as the pharaoh's tomb. One piece of pottery "bore a label indicating it contained natron which was used for embalming," reported Litherland. "This confirms that a burial did initially take place in the tomb."
There might yet be another undiscovered tomb where items were relocated after the flooding, noted Litherland. The mummy reburied in a cache at Deir el-Bahari, a nearby location, has been identified by some Egyptologists as Thutmose II. However, this mummy might be too old (possibly around 40 years at the time of death) to be that of Thutmose II, suggesting his mummy and another tomb may remain undisturbed elsewhere, he added.
Who was Thutmose II?
Little is known about the rule of Thutmose II. There is ongoing debate regarding the length of his reign, but it may have been under five years, according to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. However, some researchers believe that his reign was longer, with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York estimating it from about 1492 to 1479 BCE.
Thutmose II was a pharaoh of Egypt's 18th dynasty, governing from approximately 1492 to 1479 BCE. He was married to Queen Hatshepsut, who subsequently ascended to the throne herself. Although his reign is poorly documented, he is noted for quelling a rebellion in Nubia, a region now part of southern Egypt and northern Sudan, which was then under Egyptian control. Historical records also indicate that he conducted military campaigns in the eastern Mediterranean, reaching as far as modern-day Syria. After his death, Hatshepsut became one of the most renowned pharaohs in Egyptian history.
