A groundbreaking discovery in the field of archaeology was made last week, sending shockwaves throughout the community. The unearthing of a pharaoh’s burial site was a monumental find, rivaling the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1922. However, there was one glaring omission: the pharaoh’s body was nowhere to be found. The archaeologist responsible for the discovery now believes he has cracked the case of the missing mummified remains.

On February 18, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of the first tomb of Thutmose II, uncovered by a joint Egyptian and British archaeological project. Located near Luxor, in close proximity to the Valley of the Kings, the tomb was found in a severely damaged state, likely due to flooding that occurred shortly after the pharaoh’s death. Despite the poor condition, the team, led by British archaeologist Piers Litherland, was able to identify the tomb through relics such as alabaster jars bearing the pharaoh’s name and funerary furniture.

Thutmose II’s reign is not well-documented, with limited archaeological findings available. It is believed he ruled from 1493 to 1479 BCE, although his actual time on the throne may have been as brief as three years. The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization estimates his reign lasted less than five years. What is known is that he was the son of Thutmose I and one of his minor wives, and he ascended to power by marrying his half-sister Hatshepsut, daughter of his father’s principal wife. The complexities of royal families are certainly intriguing.

Despite his likely short reign, Thutmose II is notable for several successful military campaigns, including the suppression of uprisings in Nubia and the destruction of a tribe in the Sinai. He was succeeded by his son, Thutmose III.

The discovery of the tomb was a historic find, marking the first Egyptian royal burial site uncovered in over 100 years. However, the absence of Thutmose II’s mummified corpse was a significant omission. Less than a week after this groundbreaking discovery, Litherland now believes he has made another significant find, and he has reason to believe the mummy is inside.

“This is a discovery of a lifetime,” he told The Guardian. “It’s a dream come true, although it’s still hard to believe it’s happening.”

Inside a pit within the first tomb, Litherland discovered an inscription indicating that the pharaoh’s half-sister and wife had the contents moved. Litherland believes the king was interred in another tomb he had initially discovered in 2022. Since then, he and his team have been working to gain access, a challenging task given the tomb’s location beneath layers of rock and plaster.

“There are 23 meters of artificial layers above a point in the landscape where we believe, based on other evidence, a monument is concealed,” Litherland explained. “The most likely candidate for what lies beneath this massive, labor-intensive pile is the second tomb of Thutmose II.”

The workmen who constructed the tomb took extensive measures to safeguard it, including paving a layer of mud plaster with ash on top and placing huge boulders on it, which were then plastered in place.

Clearing through these obstacles has been a time-consuming process, and Litherland estimates the job is halfway done, with completion potentially achievable within a month.

There is some debate over what Litherland might find once he gains access to the tomb. In 1881, the mummified body of a 30-year-old man was initially identified as Thutmose II, but Litherland believes this is a case of mistaken identity. He cites historical records indicating the pharaoh came to power as a young boy, suggesting he likely died before reaching the age of 30.

As a publication that values science, we won’t dismiss this endeavor. The notion of a “Curse of the Pharaohs” is likely a myth, despite some unusual events surrounding the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, in case Thutmose II is indeed in this tomb, we wonder if Brendan Fraser has any plans for next month.