Sofia Aziz

I was absolutely thrilled to join Henry Bonsu on Times Radio to discuss the incredible discovery of the tomb of Thutmose II. It’s not every day that we get to talk about such a monumental find in the world of Egyptology! Following our conversation, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on the identification of the mummy believed to be Thutmose II, which was discovered in the Deir el-Bahri cache back in the 19th century. This mummy has long been a subject of fascination and debate, and with this new discovery, the story has taken an even more intriguing turn.

The Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities, Dr Litherland, his team, and all involved deserve immense congratulations for this extraordinary discovery. While this is not the first pharaoh’s tomb to be discovered since Tutankhamun’s in 1922, it is, without doubt, an incredible find. Prior to this discovery, other significant finds included the royal tombs of Tanis, which contained the burials of several kings from the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Dynasties.

The identification of the tomb as belonging to Thutmose II was first proposed by Dr Litherland in an article published in the EES magazine “Egyptian Archaeology” in 2023. The tomb, designated as C4, is located in a wadi known as ‘C,’ part of the remote ‘Western Wadis’ region, approximately 1.5 miles from the Valley of the Kings. The tomb has suffered significant damage from repeated flooding, leaving it in a poor state of preservation. The corridor’s floor was originally coated with white plaster, and while little decoration remains, a small section of a starry ceiling in blue and yellow —considered a hallmark of pharaonic tombs—has survived. Fragments of the Amduat, a central decorative feature in royal tombs of this period, have also been found.

The tomb is mostly empty but fragments of alabaster vessels inscribed with the name of Thutmose II and references to his Great Royal Wife (and half-sister), Hatshepsut, have been recovered. According to Dr Litherland, it appears that the tomb was severely damaged by flooding shortly after the death of Thutmose II, leading to the relocation of his burial.

Dr Litherland has also cast doubt on the identification of the mummy previously thought to belong to Thutmose II. The mummified human remains in question are that of a man aged around 30 years, which he considers too old to be Thutmose II. This discrepancy supports the theory that a second, intact tomb of Thutmose II may still be found. While there is some evidence suggesting Thutmose II may not have lived to 30, it is not entirely conclusive and still a matter of scholarly debate. Additionally, even if some mixing of materials in the Royal Cache occurred, in the case of Thutmose II, this appears highly unlikely, as the coffin and mummy were both labelled with identifying ‘dockets’ bearing his name.

Thutmose II himself remains largely obscure. Few monuments or inscriptions from his reign survive, and it is believed he ruled for only a short time. His historical significance is largely tied to his family: he was the son of Thutmose I, a prominent pharaoh who helped establish Egypt’s dominance in the early New Kingdom, and the father of Thutmose III, who became one of Egypt’s greatest warrior pharaohs. Thutmose II also married his half-sister, Hatshepsut, who later assumed the role of pharaoh during the early years of Thutmose III’s reign, adding another layer of intrigue to his legacy.

Anatomist Grafton Elliot Smith conducted extensive studies on royal mummies during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including those from the cache discovered at Deir el-Bahri. When the mummy believed to be Thutmose II was first examined, the arms were found crossed over the chest, and the ear orifices were plugged with resin balls, a practice also observed in other royal mummies of the period. As mentioned, the mummy was labelled with identifying dockets, further supporting its identification. In my opinion, the mummification techniques align with those used for other early 18th Dynasty royal family members, such as Thutmose I, Thutmose III, and KV60 mummy identified as Hatshepsut. These mummies, including the Younger Lady, Amenhotep I, and the Elder Lady, all did not undergo excerebration and had desiccated intact brains (see my book “The Human Brain in Ancient Egypt”, 2023). Recent CT scans conducted by Dr Hawass and his team also show methods that align with early 18th Dynasty mummification techniques. The mouth cavity and upper throat of Thutmose II’s mummy were found to contain linen packs treated with resin, and the torso was stuffed with both resin-treated and untreated linen. 

The mummy identified as his is now housed in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation. The possibility of a second tomb containing artefacts is so interesting.  Let’s see how this unfolds.