One thing is certain about the recent discovery of the erstwhile Tomb of Thutmose II: no one was expecting it! It is true that his was one of the few unknown tombs of the Eighteenth Dynasty, but as his mummy was thought to be one of those rehoused in the Deir el-Bahri cache, it was assumed that his ancient tomb had been emptied and probably reused.
But now we have a tomb, consisting of four chambers and two corridors, that has been positively identified as belonging to the king – and a possible location for a second tomb that may actually be his final resting place. So how did these momentous discoveries come about?
The Western Wadis
The Valley of the Kings, Deir el-Medina, Deir el-Bahri, and the Valley of the Queens are all famous sites to the east and south of the al-Qurn mountain, visited by many tourists. However, the western side has previously received much less attention, and its valleys have perfunctory names like Wadi 300, Wadi A, Aa, Ab, C, D, and so on. There are few landmarks other than rocks, more rocks, and the occasional footpath or cave, but now we know this landscape intimately.
