Dr. Piers Litherland, field director of the archaeological mission, was overwhelmed when he discovered part of a blue-painted ceiling with yellow stars in a tomb. “Blue-painted ceilings with yellow stars are only found in kings’ tombs,” he said. The moment left him emotionally stunned, especially after years of searching for the burial site of Thutmose II.
Thutmose II, who ruled from 1493 to 1479 BCE and was an ancestor of Tutankhamun, had his tomb elude archaeologists for centuries. After discovering fragments of alabaster jars inscribed with his name, Dr. Litherland’s team confirmed they had found the tomb of the early 18th Dynasty king.
The tomb, hidden beneath flood debris, had been deliberately emptied shortly after Thutmose II’s burial, likely due to flooding from a nearby waterfall. The team crawled through a narrow passage and found scenes from the Amduat, a royal religious text, further confirming the tomb’s royal nature.
While the tomb was empty, these fragments marked the first direct evidence of Thutmose II’s burial site. Dr. Litherland believes a second, treasure-filled tomb may still be intact and awaiting discovery.
This breakthrough marks the culmination of over 12 years of work by Dr. Litherland’s team and Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
