Archaeology News - Pharaoh's Tomb Discovered in Egypt: King Thutmose II of Egypt
The recent discovery of Thutmose II's tomb in the Wadi Gabbanat el-Qurud area, west of Luxor, is a landmark archaeological find. This tomb, designated Wadi C-4, was identified after extensive excavation and analysis following its initial discovery in 2022, with the confirmation of Thutmose II's ownership occurring in 2025. This discovery is particularly significant as it provides unprecedented insights into the royal burial practices of the Eighteenth Dynasty.
The excavation process was fraught with challenges due to the tomb's deteriorated state, a result of ancient flood damage. This damage obscured the tomb's true identity, leading to initial speculation that it might belong to a royal wife. However, careful analysis of recovered artifacts, specifically alabaster vessels bearing inscriptions of Thutmose II and Hatshepsut, confirmed its royal ownership. These findings offer valuable information about the relationship between these two figures and the burial customs of their era.
Beyond confirming ownership, the tomb's architecture reveals a "left-hand-turn design" that influenced later royal tombs. The discovery of fragments of funerary texts, including portions of the Amduat, further enriches our understanding of ancient Egyptian beliefs concerning the afterlife. While Thutmose II's mummy was previously discovered in the 19th-century Deir el-Bahari Cache, indicating a later relocation of his remains, this discovery marks the first time that funerary furniture belonging to Thutmose II has been found, and the finding of his original tomb.
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