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The discovery of a new Egyptian royal tomb in Western Valley C (adjacent to the Valley of the Kings) has been confirmed by a joint mission between the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the New Kingdom Research Foundation led by Dr Piers Litherland (University of Cambridge). The entrance to the tomb (C4) was originally discovered in October 2022 (as reported in AE 135) below the cliff tomb of Neferura (the daughter of Thutmose II and Hatshepsut), in an area associated with tombs of royal women of the Eighteenth Dynasty. After months spent clearing away debris and rubble, the team found small ceramic fragments and other finds inscribed with the cartouches of Thutmose II (c.1492-1479), the half brother and husband of Hatshepsut. Further evidence came from fragments of scenes from the Amduat, and pieces from the burial chamber ceiling painted blue with yellow stars – decoration only found in the tombs of kings.
The tomb layout is typical for Eighteenth Dynasty tombs, but with an extra corridor to the west of the main axis which had been plastered, enlarged, and blocked in two places. Rather than being the work of tomb robbers, this corridor may have been added to remove the king and his burial goods following floods that damaged the tomb within six years of his burial.
The team has now discovered an area where they think Thutmose II could have been reburied: in a tomb located below a 23-metre pile of limestone and rubble. It will take at least a month to clear the debris by hand. One of the royal mummies discovered in the Royal Cache (TT320) at Deir el-Bahri in the 19th century has been identified as that of Thutmose II, and is currently on display in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation. However, there is some doubt over the identity of this mummy, which is possibly too old to be Thutmose II, and the team are hoping his second tomb may contain the actual mummy of the king.
You can find out more about this story in two features, which start here and here.
Text: Sarah Griffiths / All images: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, unless otherwise stated
