British archaeologist Dr. Piers Litherland made a groundbreaking discovery—he identified the ceiling of a burial chamber adorned in blue and yellow star patterns, marking the first Egyptian pharaoh’s tomb uncovered in over a century.

After dedicating over ten years to examining the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, Litherland stumbled upon a staircase leading to the tomb now recognized as the final resting place of Thutmose II, who ruled from 1493 to 1479 BC.

The excavation process required months of clearing flood debris from the entrance corridor, during which time Litherland and his team initially believed the tomb belonged to a royal consort.

However, upon noticing that the burial chamber’s ceiling featured illustrations from the Amduat—a sacred text reserved for royals—Litherland understood he had made a remarkable find, one celebrated as the most significant archaeological revelation since the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Reflecting on that pivotal moment, he shared with the BBC World Service, “I felt an extraordinary sort of bewilderment. When I emerged from the tomb, my wife was waiting outside, and I couldn’t help but break down in tears.”

As efforts continued to clear the corridor, he braced himself for the possibility of uncovering the remnants of a burial, but what he discovered instead was completely unexpected.

“Ultimately, the tomb was entirely vacant—not due to robbery, but because it had been purposefully emptied. We deduced that flooding occurred; the tomb was constructed beneath a waterfall, which likely submerged it within six years following the burial,” he explained.

The king’s remains were removed through a secondary passage and relocated, Litherland said. “Only gradually, as we sifted through tons of rubble—a mixture of broken limestone—did we discover small alabaster fragments that identified Thutmose II.”

These fragments likely sustained damage during the relocation of the tomb. “Fortunately, they did break one or two items, which was crucial for uncovering the tomb’s identity,” he added.

This remarkable find resulted from a collaborative effort between the New Kingdom Research Foundation, a British academic organization, and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in association with the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge.

Thutmose II was not only the husband but also the half-brother of Hatshepsut, one of ancient Egypt’s most revered pharaohs and one of the few women to hold power as a ruler. He was also the father of Thutmose III.

Litherland conveyed to PA media, “This discovery unlocks a major enigma of ancient Egypt: the whereabouts of burial sites belonging to the early kings of the 18th dynasty. The tomb of this ancestor of Tutankhamun had eluded discovery for years, as it was believed to be located elsewhere in the Valley of the Kings.”

Given the evidence suggesting the tomb’s contents were transferred to another location, Mohsen Kamel, the assistant field director, remarked, “The potential existence of a second, most likely undisturbed tomb of Thutmose II is an incredible prospect.”