Second Egyptian tomb may hold mummy of pharaoh who died 3,500 years ago
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Litherland thinks the tomb might contain Thutmose II's mummified body along with some valuable items, and says it's buried 23 metres below a big man-made pile of rubble, limestone, ash, and mud. "The most likely thing to be hidden under this very costly, in terms of effort, pile is Thutmose II's second tomb," he reckons.
The discovery of the first tomb was a real game-changer – the first of its kind since the find of Tutankhamun's tomb over a century ago. At first, it was thought to be the final resting place of a royal woman, but Litherland's team dug up a decorated burial chamber with a blue ceiling featuring yellow stars, which was a dead giveaway that it was a royal tomb.
They reckon the first tomb was cleared out about six years after the pharaoh was buried due to a flood, and his body was then shifted to the second tomb. Litherland and his team are now meticulously digging out the second tomb by hand, after previous attempts to dig in were deemed too dodgy.
This tomb has been right under our noses for 3,500 years," Litherland said. "You fantasise about such things. But like winning the lottery, you never think it'll actually happen to you.
With their dig still under way, the team is aiming to uncover the tomb within about a month's time.
had been lost to the annals of time.
The Supreme Court of Antiquities said in a statement that the initial find was "one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in recent times".
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