Egyptologists and history buffs the world over are still celebrating the once-in-a-century breakthrough, announced last month, that an English-Egyptian team of archaeologists have finally discovered the missing ancient Egyptian tomb of King Thutmose II. It is the first time a royal burial site has been unearthed since that of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter in 1922.
That early 20th-century find included several rooms replete with some 5,398 ancient treasures. These precious artifacts included a bust of the King, his childhood toys, a painted chest, embroidered gloves, a chariot, and a ceremonial shield, items that have gone on to fill the new, hotly anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, which opened last fall.
So did the discovery of Thutmose II’s resting place lead to a similar windfall? Unfortunately, his tomb was found in a very poor condition. Shortly after the pharaoh’s death the space flooded and most of the contents were likely moved to another location.
Amid the rubble, however, the team of researchers, led by British archaeologist Piers Litherland, was able to find the damaged remains of some of the ancient royal’s burial goods. He has described these as “very small fragments of objects probably broken in the flooded tomb when they were removed in darkness.”
These pieces offer a hint at what may still remain to be discovered, and were also instrumental in identifying the tomb as belonging to Thutmose II. Indeed, “the artifacts discovered there are an important addition to the history of the archaeological site and the period of the reign of King Tatmas II,” according to an official statement from the Egyptian State Information Service.
Alabaster Duck Vessels
When Litherland’s team first found the entrance to the tomb in 2022, they believed it might belong to a king’s wife due to its placement in close proximity to tombs belonging to the wives of Thutmose II’s son and successor. It was the discovery of fragmented alabaster vessels that alerted the archaeologists to the magnitude of their discovery. These shards were engraved with the pharaoh’s name and the descriptor “deceased King.” Additionally, the engraving of his wife Queen Hatshepsut’s name confirmed that she was the owner of the tomb and had overseen her husband’s burial.
Litherland has confirmed that the alabaster pieces were once part of a duck-shaped vessel of the kind that was typical in ancient Egypt. At this time, stone vessels were often used for ritual or display purposes and were indicators of high status. Thutmose II’s tomb also contained some ceramic shards from ritualistic hes and nemset vessels and pieces from white-washed storage jars.
Amduat Ceiling Decorations
Another standout find were many pieces of broken tiling that had fallen from the ceiling and walls. Litherland’s team hope to be able to put these back together to restore the original design, but even as fragments we can see that the ceiling once had a blue background decorated with yellow sky stars.
Experts have also deciphered motifs and paragraphs from the Amduat, a book recounting the story of Egyptian sun god Ra, that were carved onto the walls but have since fallen to the chamber floor and been covered by debris. Use of this important funerary text in tombs was, until the Twenty-first Dynasty, reserved for royalty or a very select few nobles.
“The decoration of the tomb was only in the burial chamber and had been badly damaged by the humidity from the flood and the subsequent collapse of the ceiling and walls,” confirmed Litherland. ” The blue-painted ceiling survived only in one corner.”
Wooden Shaft of Spear or Fan
Further reinforcing the identity of the tomb’s inhabitant was a broken wooden shaft, which may have belonged to a spear or a fan. Like the alabaster fragments, it was also inscribed with the title of the king. It was made of durable dalbergia wood.
Tutankhamun, often known as King Tut, was also buried with some weapons to take into the afterlife. Archaeologists found two daggers, one that was entirely gold and another that had a mysterious iron blade, despite originating from a time before metalworkers were able to heat their materials to the degree required to work with iron ore. Amazingly, it has been shown that the extraterrestrial knife was actually made using iron forged from a meteorite, according to Italian researchers who announced the finding in 2016.
Should the wooden shaft have belonged to a fan, this would also echo King Tut’s personal horde of burial goods. The Boy King, who died in his late teens, was laid to rest with eight fans. One was a handheld item for personal use while the other seven were mounted fans that would have been operated by the young pharaoh’s courtiers.
