The Scots archaeologist behind 'extraordinary' discovery of long-lost Egyptian pharaoh tomb

A Scots archaeologist has led the discovery of a lost tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh in what has been hailed as an “extraordinary moment” for Egyptology.

The tomb of Thutmose II, pharaoh of the illustrious XVIIIth dynasty, has been found in the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis in Egypt following a 12-year search.

It is the first tomb of its kind to be found since Thutmose II’s descendant Tutankhamun was located in 1922. It is also the last tomb of the XVIIIth dynasty rulers, who reigned over a period of immense wealth, to be found.

Dr Piers Litherland, of Galashiels, who led the discovery of the tomb of Thutmose II. | Contributed

READ MORE: Scotland’s risks ‘wholesale loss’ of heritage as archaeology cuts leaves service at ‘bare minimum’

The breakthrough was led by Dr Piers Litherland, of Galashiels, an honorary research associate of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at Cambridge University.

Intriguingly, the tomb of Thutmose II was empty when discovered and raises “extraordinary implications” about what happened at the final resting place of the pharaoh who is thought to have ruled from 1493 to 1479 BC.

Alabaster fragments found in the tomb which bear the name of Thutmose II. | Contributed

Dr Litherland said: “This discovery solves a great mystery of ancient Egypt - the location of the tombs of the early XVIIIth dynasty kings. The tomb of this ancestor of Tutankhamun had never been found because it was always thought to be at the other end of the mountain near the Valley of the Kings.

“Initially we thought we might have found the tomb of a royal wife, but the wide staircase and the large doorway suggested something more important. The discovery that the burial chamber had been decorated with scenes from the Amduat, a religious text which is reserved for kings, was immensely exciting and was the first indication that this was a king's tomb.”

Thutmose II was the four-times great-grandfather of Tutankhamun and the husband and half-brother of Hatshepsut, who was considered one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs.

Artefacts discovered in the tomb, including fragments of alabaster jars bearing inscriptions with the names of Thutmose II and his principal wife, Hatshepsut, provided definitive evidence of the tomb’s ownership. These are the only artefacts connected with Thutmose II's burial that have ever been found.

The pharaoh’s final resting place following his death 3,500 years ago has remained the subject of debate and speculation for generations.

Entrance and location of the tomb of Thutmose II. | Contributed

The discovery has been made by a joint mission formed by the New Kingdom Research Foundation (NKRF), a British independent academic foundation, and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Egypt. The co-head of the mission was Dr Judith Bunbury, fellow of Wolfson College.

Archaeologists have also raised the prospect of a second tomb linked to Thutmose II given records suggest there was a catastrophic flood in this tomb leading to the removal of its contents to a second. The discovery of an intact foundation deposit suggests the second tomb is hidden in the same valley.

This casts further doubt on the identity of the CG61066 body found in the Royal Cache in 1881 and previously identified as Thutmose II.

"The possible existence of a second, and most likely intact, tomb of Thutmose II is an astonishing possibility," said Mohsen Kamel, the assistant field director of the mission.

Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, said: “This is the first royal tomb to be discovered since the ground-breaking find of King Tutankhamun’s burial chamber in 1922. It is an extraordinary moment for Egyptology and the broader understanding of our shared human story.”

The rulers of the XVIIIth dynasty include some of the most famous and powerful pharaohs of ancient Egypt, such as Tutankhamun, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III and Amenhotep II. This was a period of immense wealth.