A British archaeologist thinks his team might have discovered a second tomb in Egypt that could belong to King Thutmose II. This possible discovery comes just a few days after Dr. Piers Litherland announced the discovery of the first tomb of a pharaoh since Tutankhamun’s tomb was found over a century ago. Dr. Litherland told the Observer that he suspects the second site may hold the mummified body of the pharaoh.
Archaeologists believe that the first tomb was emptied six years after burial due to flooding and was then relocated to a second site. Dr. Litherland believes that the second tomb is located beneath a man-made pile of limestone, ash, rubble, and mud plaster that was designed by ancient Egyptians to resemble a mountain in the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis near the city of Luxor. The first tomb was found behind a waterfall and is believed to have flooded as a result.
The search for the initial tomb uncovered a posthumous inscription indicating that the contents of the tomb may have been moved to a second location nearby by Thutmose II’s wife and half-sister, Hatshepsut. The British-Egyptian team is currently working by hand to uncover the tomb, as attempts to tunnel into it were considered too dangerous.
The first tomb was located in an area associated with the resting places of royal women, but upon entering the burial chamber, the team found it decorated, which is a sign of a pharaoh’s tomb. Dr. Litherland explained that part of the ceiling was still intact and featured a blue-painted ceiling with yellow stars, which are only found in kings’ tombs.
Dr. Litherland expressed his overwhelming emotion when he came across the discovery, stating that it was a mix of surprise and turbulence. Thutmose II is best known for being the husband of Queen Hatshepsut, who is considered one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs and one of the few female pharaohs who ruled in her own right. Thutmose II was an ancestor of Tutankhamun, whose reign is believed to have been from around 1493 to 1479 BC. Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered by British archaeologists in 1922.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg5elpzy9yo
