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Thediscovery of Thutmose II ’s grave last week — the first burial of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh to be find within or near the Valley of the Kings sinceKing Tutankhamun ’s tomb was ground in 1922 — has left many unanswered interrogative .
Unlike dozens ofearly Pharaoh who were inter in or around pyramidsor later pharaohs who were bury at the Valley of the top executive , Thutmose II ’s tomb is on its own , more than 1.2 miles ( 2 kilometer ) to the west of the Valley of the king . And because this tomb was flood shortly after Thutmose II ’s burial , his mummy and the absolute majority of his weighty goods were remove by ancient officials and placed elsewhere — but their ultimate localisation is a secret .
Inscriptions with the name Thutmose II on pottery remains found in the tomb. One inscription says his wife — and future pharaoh — Hatshepsut had him buried here.
Yet another teaser is why Thutmose II ’s wife and half sis , Hatshepsut — who subsequently became pharaoh and was arguably the firstancient Egyptianruler to be buried at the Valley of the Kings — chose to inter her hubby elsewhere .
But the mystery archeologist may solve first is one that is looming in front of them : whether a giant mound of rubble near Thutmose II ’s new discovered grave contains a concealed 2nd grave that holds the mama of Thutmose II .
If there is a second tomb there then " this second tomb is likely to be pure and undisturbed,“Piers Litherland , an Egyptologist at the University of Cambridge and atomic number 27 - leader of the squad that plant the tomb , told Live Science in an email .
Why wasn’t Thutmose II buried in the valley?
Archaeologists originallyfound the tomb in October 2022 , but it was n’t until a recent analysis of one of its grievous goods that they link it to Thutmose II , who rule around 3,500 age ago . The artifact , a heavy alabaster ointment jar , has an inscription that suppose it was Hatshepsut who had Thutmose II forget in that location .
A translation of the inscription learn , " The god ’s wife the great principal wife Hatshepsut made this monument for her brother the utter god the lord of the Two Lands [ Thutmose II ] given life enduringly the dear Osiris , " Litherland said .
Zahi Hawass , a former minister of antiquities who is not a member of the research team but studied the inscription , said it ’s still indecipherable why Hatshepsut had Thutmose II buried in this area , which is now known as Wadi Gabbanat El Qurud .
It ’s " a question why she buried him here and she work up her [ grave ] in the Valley of the king , " Hawass assure Live Science in an electronic mail . " It is very strange for her to bury him in this [ field ] that she and other kings did not employ . "
While Hatshepsut may have oversee the burial , it was likely Thutmose II himself who had his grave construct at this locating , saidAidan Dodson , an Egyptology professor at the University of Bristol who is not involved with the excavation . He noted that " at this time the Valley of the Kings had not been adopted as the received burial place " for Egyptian Pharaoh of Egypt .
It appears that Hatshepsut primitively plan to be buried not far from Thutmose II . Dodson noted that there is a tomb located about 1,640 feet ( 500 meters ) from Thutmose II ’s tomb that was built for Hatshepsut but was not used by her . The tomb was uncompleted , but has inscriptions indicating that it was build for her . " She only moved to the Valley of the king [ when ] she became [ a ] female pharaoh , seven days after her husband ’s demise , " Dodson said .
Litherland said tombs of other regal house member have been found in Wadi Gabbanat El Qurud and that tombs of other pharaohs may be in the area but have n’t been identify .
Gay Robins , a prof emerita of art history at Emory University who is not involved with the dig , told Live Science that " Hatshepsut seems to be the first king to plug in her burial with the location we now call the Valley of the Kings , so there is nothing leftover about Thutmose II not being bury there . "
The fact that Hatshepsut had Thutmose II buried away from her may contribute one to speculate whether she disliked him ; however there is no grounds for this , according toFilip Taterka , an Egyptology prof at the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures of the Polish Academy of Sciences .
" We know that Hatshepsut did not persecute the retention of Thutmose II in any way , quite to the reverse , she not only provide him with a burial — as the lettering from the vase mentioned above demonstrates — but also order[ed ] to construct a funerary tabernacle for him , so as to fix his funerary furore , " Taterka told Live Science in an email .
Does Thutmose II have a second tomb nearby?
Another question the grave discovery raise is whether Thutmose II has a 2nd , unexplored tomb nearby . The newfound tomb was largely empty ; archeologist found that the mummy and most of the serious goods were go after the tomb flooded shortly after Thutmose II was immerse .
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— Excavations at Queen Hatshepsut ’s mortuary tabernacle reveal elaborate entombment , decorated block and ancient tools
Litherland say Live Science that the team is currently excavate a nearby mound that contains a pile of limestone and junk . " We have reasonableness to consider it was manufacture to conceal something and that something is likely to be an authoritative tomb , " Litherland read . The mountain is about 75.5 feet ( 23 m ) tall , and it would have taken " vast effort and disbursement " to lay so much rubble there , he add .
Litherland estimates it will take more than a month to hollow the mound and find out what lies underneath . " We do n’t , and ca n’t , know that the second grave of Thutmose II is there but there are signs which point suggestively in that commission , " Litherland state . " Only [ by ] excavating the hill can we find out . "
Ancient Egypt quiz: Test your smarts about pyramids, hieroglyphs and King Tut
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