Rahul Somvanshi
Archaeologists have found something rare in Egypt – a king’s tomb. This is the first royal tomb discovery since King Tutankhamun’s in 1922.
A team of British and Egyptian researchers found King Thutmose II’s burial place near the city of Luxor. The tomb sits about 1.5 miles west of the famous Valley of the Kings, where many Egyptian rulers were buried.
“When I first entered the tomb, I could only cry,” said Dr. Piers Litherland, who led the dig. His team knew they had found something special when they saw the tomb’s ceiling. It was painted blue with yellow stars – a design only used for kings in ancient Egypt.
But the tomb tells a story of ancient problems too. It was built under a waterfall, which proved to be a costly mistake. About six years after the king’s burial, water flooded the entire chamber. The ancient Egyptians had to move everything, including the king’s body, to a safer place.
The research team found broken pieces of stone jars in the tomb. These jars had important names carved on them – King Thutmose II and his wife Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut later became one of Egypt’s few female rulers.
“This discovery solves a great mystery,” explains Sherif Fathy, Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities. “We’ve been looking for this tomb for 100 years. It changes what we know about where ancient Egyptian kings were buried.”
The tomb is big, with a wide staircase leading down to the burial room. On the walls, there are special religious texts that only kings could use. The team also found pieces of funeral furniture – the first ever found belonging to Thutmose II.
Thutmose II ruled Egypt from about 1493 to 1479 BCE. He was married to his half-sister Hatshepsut, who later became famous as one of Egypt’s most powerful rulers.
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The discovery might lead to something even more exciting. Assistant Field Director Mohsen Kamel explains: “We think there might be another tomb nearby. When the ancient Egyptians moved everything because of the flood, they had to put it somewhere. That second tomb might still have everything in it.”
This find comes after 12 years of careful work. The team has explored 54 other tombs in the area and learned about more than 30 royal family members. The tomb was found in a different location than expected – it was thought to be at the other end of the mountain near the Valley of the Kings.
Each discovery helps us piece together the story of ancient Egypt. The site shows how ancient Egyptians dealt with unexpected problems like flooding, and how they protected their important artifacts. This kind of information helps archaeologists understand more about life in ancient Egypt.
The search continues. As Dr. Litherland’s team keeps digging, they hope to find the second tomb where Thutmose II’s remains were moved.
