Archaeologists have uncovered the long-lost tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II near Luxor, marking the first discovery of a royal burial site in over a century, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Tuesday.
The tomb, located west of the Valley of the Kings, belonged to the 18th Dynasty ruler and is the first pharaonic tomb identified since the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s in 1922, according to the ministry.
The joint Egyptian-British team confirmed the tomb’s ownership through alabaster vessels inscribed with the names of Thutmose II and his wife, Queen Hatshepsut—one of the few women to rule ancient Egypt. Archaeologists also uncovered fragments of funerary furniture, as well as sections of mortar adorned with blue inscriptions, yellow stars, and religious texts.
However, the tomb suffered significant damage due to flooding soon after the king’s burial, leaving it in poor condition. Many of its original contents appear to have been relocated, and efforts to recover them are ongoing, the ministry said.