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Tomb of Thutmose II
The Tomb of Thutmose II is a royal ancient Egyptian tomb located in the Wadi Gabbanat el-Qurud area west of Luxor. The tomb, also known by its tomb number C-4, belonged to Thutmose II, a pharaoh of the 16th–15th centuries BC. The tomb lacks Thutmose's mummy, which may have been found in 1881 in the Royal Cache, where many royal coffins were moved in ancient times. There are, however, doubts about the identity of that mummy.
Identified by a joint Egyptian–British archaeological expedition, the tomb was discovered during clearance work searching for foundation deposits. A softness in the surface, identified by Ashraf Omar Ali and Heraji Sayed Ahmed, led to the team, headed by Piers Litherland, uncovering the entrance to the tomb on 31st October, 2022. It discovery was announced in a preliminary report in the following year.
The tomb was discovered during broader archaeological work conducted across the Western Wadis, near the Nile in southern Egypt. Initial exploration began in October 2022 with the discovery of its entrance and main passage in Wadi C west of Luxor, designated as Wadi C-4. The tomb was believed to have remained sealed since the Third Intermediate Period. Repeated flooding filled the main axis with densely packed debris that had hardened to a concrete-like consistency. This also compromised the structural integrity of the tomb's ceilings, resulting in partial collapses.
The archaeological team of the New Kingdom Research Foundation originally suspected the tomb belonged to a royal wife due to its proximity to the tombs of three wives of Thutmose III and Hatshepsut's intended burial site before she became king. Meticulous excavations continued for nearly three years before the tomb's royal ownership was confirmed.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities claimed that this was the first discovery of a pharaoh's tomb since the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. However, several royal tombs had been discovered since Tutankhamun's, such as that of Psusennes I (Third Intermediate Period) in 1940 and that of Senebkay (Second Intermediate Period) in 2014. Thutmose II's tomb was however, the first royal tomb from the New Kingdom discovered since that of Tutankhamun.
The tomb exhibits a simple architectural design characteristic of the period following Thutmose II's reign, which influenced the burial structures of subsequent Egyptian rulers. The tomb is located at the opposite end of the Theban mountain to the Valley of the Kings previously associated with the burials of royal wives. The tomb was built around an early variation of a left-turning bent axis design that became standard for later Eighteenth Dynasty royal tombs.
The tomb has three larger chambers, labelled A, B, D by the excavators. Chamber C is a smaller one, next to chamber B. Chamber A (5.3 m × 5.2 m or 17 ft × 17 ft and 3.4 m or 11 ft high) is the innermost and largest one that was once decorated, but only small parts of the decoration are preserved, mainly in the corners. Archaeologists have determined that it is very likely to have been the burial chamber of the tomb. There are two corridors, Corridor 1 is the main one forming the entrance and leading to chamber D. Corridor 2 is later. It starts on the west side of corridor 1 and goes to the main chamber A where it enters the room 1.7 m above floor level.
The "unusual" second corridor features a white gypsum plaster finishing and exhibited evidence of two enlargement phases. Unlike typical tomb corridors that slope downward, the passage angles upward and intersects with the burial chamber (Chamber A) at a height of 1.4 or 1.7 m (4 ft 7 in or 5 ft 7 in) above the chamber floor. Archaeological evidence suggests this modification served as an emergency egress route after flooding blocked the original corridor.
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Tomb of Thutmose II
The Tomb of Thutmose II is a royal ancient Egyptian tomb located in the Wadi Gabbanat el-Qurud area west of Luxor. The tomb, also known by its tomb number C-4, belonged to Thutmose II, a pharaoh of the 16th–15th centuries BC. The tomb lacks Thutmose's mummy, which may have been found in 1881 in the Royal Cache, where many royal coffins were moved in ancient times. There are, however, doubts about the identity of that mummy.
Identified by a joint Egyptian–British archaeological expedition, the tomb was discovered during clearance work searching for foundation deposits. A softness in the surface, identified by Ashraf Omar Ali and Heraji Sayed Ahmed, led to the team, headed by Piers Litherland, uncovering the entrance to the tomb on 31st October, 2022. It discovery was announced in a preliminary report in the following year.
The tomb was discovered during broader archaeological work conducted across the Western Wadis, near the Nile in southern Egypt. Initial exploration began in October 2022 with the discovery of its entrance and main passage in Wadi C west of Luxor, designated as Wadi C-4. The tomb was believed to have remained sealed since the Third Intermediate Period. Repeated flooding filled the main axis with densely packed debris that had hardened to a concrete-like consistency. This also compromised the structural integrity of the tomb's ceilings, resulting in partial collapses.
The archaeological team of the New Kingdom Research Foundation originally suspected the tomb belonged to a royal wife due to its proximity to the tombs of three wives of Thutmose III and Hatshepsut's intended burial site before she became king. Meticulous excavations continued for nearly three years before the tomb's royal ownership was confirmed.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities claimed that this was the first discovery of a pharaoh's tomb since the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. However, several royal tombs had been discovered since Tutankhamun's, such as that of Psusennes I (Third Intermediate Period) in 1940 and that of Senebkay (Second Intermediate Period) in 2014. Thutmose II's tomb was however, the first royal tomb from the New Kingdom discovered since that of Tutankhamun.
The tomb exhibits a simple architectural design characteristic of the period following Thutmose II's reign, which influenced the burial structures of subsequent Egyptian rulers. The tomb is located at the opposite end of the Theban mountain to the Valley of the Kings previously associated with the burials of royal wives. The tomb was built around an early variation of a left-turning bent axis design that became standard for later Eighteenth Dynasty royal tombs.
The tomb has three larger chambers, labelled A, B, D by the excavators. Chamber C is a smaller one, next to chamber B. Chamber A (5.3 m × 5.2 m or 17 ft × 17 ft and 3.4 m or 11 ft high) is the innermost and largest one that was once decorated, but only small parts of the decoration are preserved, mainly in the corners. Archaeologists have determined that it is very likely to have been the burial chamber of the tomb. There are two corridors, Corridor 1 is the main one forming the entrance and leading to chamber D. Corridor 2 is later. It starts on the west side of corridor 1 and goes to the main chamber A where it enters the room 1.7 m above floor level.
The "unusual" second corridor features a white gypsum plaster finishing and exhibited evidence of two enlargement phases. Unlike typical tomb corridors that slope downward, the passage angles upward and intersects with the burial chamber (Chamber A) at a height of 1.4 or 1.7 m (4 ft 7 in or 5 ft 7 in) above the chamber floor. Archaeological evidence suggests this modification served as an emergency egress route after flooding blocked the original corridor.