Egypt has discovered the first tomb of a pharaoh for a century – King Thutmose II, who ruled from about 1493 to 1479 BC, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said.
The tomb, labelled No. C4, was excavated for two years by a team of British and Egyptian archaeologists. It is located to the west of Luxor. At first it was assumed that the tomb belonged to the wife of the ancient king.
However, earlier this year, scientists discovered writings stating that Thutmose II was the “deceased king” and “owner of this tomb.” The tile fragments found have blue engraving and a pattern of yellow stars, as well as paragraphs from the book Ami Dawat, one of the most important religious books found in the tombs of the kings of ancient Egypt.
The discovery of the thought-lost tomb of Thutmose II has been called one of the most important archaeological discoveries of recent years. It is “the last missing tomb of the kings of the Eighteenth Dynasty,” the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said.
King Thutmose II, the fourth pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th dynasty, died at the age of 30.
Historians consider him a less significant figure than his father Thutmose I, and than his half-sister and wife Hatshepsut. She was listed as the pharaoh’s co-emperor, but was actually “the real power behind the throne.”
The last time a pharaoh’s tomb was found in Egypt was in 1922. It was the burial chamber of Tutankhamun.
