Pharaoh Thutmose II’s tomb discovered near Luxor, first since Tutankhamun

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery on Tuesday, confirming that the tomb was located near Luxor.

Thutmose II, who ruled nearly 3,500 years ago (1493 to 1479 BC), was a pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th dynasty and an ancestor of Tutankhamun. He is also known as the husband of Hatshepsut, one of ancient Egypt’s few female pharaohs, who ruled from around 1479 to 1458 BC. His tomb, located west of the Valley of the Kings, was the last undiscovered royal burial site of the dynasty.

Archaeologists from a British-Egyptian team first identified its entrance in October 2022. Initially believed to belong to a royal woman, the tomb’s decorations confirmed it was a pharaoh’s burial site. The field director of the mission, Dr. Piers Litherland, told BBC that the discovery helped solve the mystery of where early 18th dynasty kings were buried.

He also described the discovery, saying, “Part of the ceiling was still intact: a blue-painted ceiling with yellow stars on it. And blue-painted ceilings with yellow stars are only found in kings' tombs.”

Although the tomb was empty, researchers found evidence that its contents had been relocated due to ancient flooding. Fragments of alabaster jars bearing the names of Thutmose II and Queen Hatshepsut helped confirm the tomb’s identity.

Egypt's historical heritage plays a major role in its tourism sector, driving significant growth in both domestic and international visitors, which reached 15.8 million in 2024, as earlier reported.