In the great film of Egyptian archaeology, we thought that the ending had already been written with the discovery of Tutankhamon over a century ago, but what seemed like the last chapter was just a pause. Thutmose II He has returned to claim his place in history after 3500 years of silence, gentlemen. Last week, archaeologists announced the discovery of his tomb, the first of an Egyptian pharaoh discovered since the golden boy, King Tut.
But more than answers, this discovery brings with it a tangled web of questions. Why was this pharaoh not buried in the Valley of the Kings? Where is his mummy? And why was his wife Hatshepsut (a future pharaoh herself) chose to bury him so far away from where she would have placed her own tomb? “Future,” you know, often also means “clarity about the past,” but this doesn't seem to be the case.
A discovery that had been awaited for a hundred years
Imagine this: the last time someone found the tomb of a pharaoh, Calvin Coolidge was president of the United States and the BBC had just started radio broadcasts (other than TV). It was the 1922 and Howard Carter had just discovered Tutankhamun. Wow.
Today, a lot of water under the bridge later, the team led by Piers Litherland ofUniversity of Cambridge made the discovery that every archaeologist dreams of. In fact, they had found this tomb as early as October 2022, but only recently have they been able to connect it to Thutmose II, thanks to the analysis of a large alabaster ointment jar.
The inscription on the vase is the definitive proof: it was Hatshepsut, wife and also half-sister of Thutmose II (hey, they were the ancient Egyptians, let's not judge), to have her husband-half-brother buried in that place. We could define it as a complicated family situation, like an extra-dramatic episode of "The Bold and the Beautiful" that is very vintage.
Thutmose II, a homeless pharaoh
Here's the weird part: this tomb is located a full 2 kilometers from the Valley of the Kings. It's like finding a McDonald's without the yellow sign: it just doesn't make sense according to our expectations.
The Zahi Hawass, a former minister of antiquities (what a cool job, let's face it), said it was "very strange" that Hatshepsut buried her husband in this area that neither she nor other kings used. It's a bit like being the only one buried in the North Cemetery when everyone else in your family is in the South Cemetery. Suspected.
But be careful: second Aidan Dodson, professor of Egyptology at the University of Bristol, may not be as strange as it seems. At the time, the Valley of the Kings had not yet become the standard burial place for pharaohs. In fact, it seems that Hatshepsut herself was the first to decide to be buried there, and only after she became a full-fledged pharaoh, about seven years after her husband's death. However, the questions do not end there.
Where are you, mummy?
There is one more small problem: the tomb is practically empty. No mummy, no impressive treasures, and none of those fantastic golden objects that make archaeologists' (and tomb robbers') eyes light up.
The reason? It seems that shortly after the burial, the tomb was flooded. Ancient Egyptian officials, who apparently cared more about the preservation of their deceased rulers than we do about our smartphones during a rainstorm, moved the mummy and most of his possessions to another location.
But where? Mystery. It's like that time we put that important document "in a safe place" and then we couldn't find it again. And it's not over yet.
The mysterious mound
Here's the really exciting part. Archaeologists are currently excavating a huge pile of limestone and debris nearby. And when I say huge, I mean HUGE: about 23 feet tall. To give you an idea, that's like stacking six SUVs on top of each other.
Litherland believes that this mound could hide a second tomb, which could be the “real” one, the one containing the mummy of Thutmose II. And the best part? If there really is a tomb down there, it could be “complete and inviolate.” Yes, you read that right: we could have another “Tutankhamun moment” after a hundred years of waiting.
It will take more than a month of excavation to discover what lies beneath, but the prospects are exciting. It is a giant unboxing like those on YouTube, but on an archaeological level and potentially of world-historical importance.
Thutmose II and Hatshepsut: Mysteries destined to remain
One last curiosity: Hatshepsut She had originally planned to be buried not far from Thutmose II. Archaeologists have found a tomb about 500 meters away that was built for her, but never used. It was left unfinished, but has inscriptions indicating that it was intended for her.
So, the story is not “wicked wife buries distant husband.” It’s more complicated than that. And as he pointed out Philip Taterka of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Hatshepsut never haunted the memory of Thutmose II. Indeed, in addition to burying him, she ordered the construction of a funerary temple for him.
A complicated marriage, perhaps, but not necessarily an unhappy one. A bit like modern relationships, only with more gold, animal-headed gods, and succession crises to the throne.
For now, we'll have to wait and see what the excavations reveal. But one thing is certain: Egypt continues to surprise us, thousands of years later. And just when we thought we knew everything about the pharaohs, Thutmose II reminds us that archaeology, like life, is full of surprises.
