Archaeologists Unearth the First Pharaoh's Tomb Since King Tut

and now they think they've already located the second!

Pharaoh Thutmose II

In a breakthrough that *almost* rivals the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb a century ago, archaeologists in Egypt have located the burial chamber of Pharaoh Thutmose II. This marks the first major pharaoh tomb discovery in nearly 100 years.

Thutmose II, an ancestor of the famous King Tut, is perhaps best known for his marriage to Queen Hatshepsut, widely regarded as one of Egypt's most accomplished female rulers. What makes this discovery particularly intriguing is the tomb's location in the Western Valley, which is traditionally a burial ground for queens rather than kings.

Queen Hatshepsut, Thutmose II’s half-sister and wife

How They Identified the Tomb

Archaeologists were able to confirm the tomb's royal occupant thanks to several key features. The chamber's ceiling remained remarkably intact, decorated with blue paint and yellow stars depicting scenes from the Amduat – a religious text exclusively reserved for kings. This initial clue suggested they had discovered not just a royal tomb, but a pharaoh's final resting place.

But, the definitive evidence that helped identify exactly who the tomb belonged to came from alabaster jars bearing inscriptions of both "Thutmose II and Hatshepsut." These jars were broken and for that reason were left behind in the move. What a happy accident too because without those jars we would not know who this tomb originally belonged to.

Fragments of the ceiling depicting blue sky with yellow stars

A Deliberately Emptied Tomb