Egypt Announces The Discovery Of The Lost Grave Of Pharaoh Thutmose II

The location is believed to be the grave of Thutmose II. (Facebook Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) 3

JAKARTA - The joint Egyptian-England mission succeeded in identifying ancient tombs near Luxor as the grave of King Thutmose II, the first discovery of the Pharaoh's tomb in more than 100 years, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said on Tuesday.

Located in the west of the Valley of the Kings, the tomb of Thutmose II is the last tomb of Egypt's lost 18th dynastic kings, and the first royal tomb found since the tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922, the ministry said.

Thutmose II is the ancestor of Tutankhamun who lived about 3,500 years ago, quoted from The Korea Times.

The entrance to the tomb was first discovered in 2022 in the Luxor Mountains west of the Valley of the Kings, but it is believed that at that time it led to the grave of a royal wife.

Archaeologists were able to identify the tomb because of the ships found at the site and the names of King Thutmose II and his wife Ratu Hatshepsut, one of the few women who had ruled Egypt.

They also found his funeral furniture, as well as snippets of mortars with blue writing, yellow stars and religious writing, the statement said.

However, due to the flood that occurred shortly after the death of the king, the tomb was generally not well maintained, the ministry added in a statement.

"There are indications that most of its contents have been removed, and work to restore it is ongoing," he said.

Great archaeological discoveries have surged in recent years, as Egypt seeks to improve its tourism industry. Last year, Egypt received 15.7 million tourists. This year, Egypt is targeting the arrival of 18 million visitors by 2025.