A joint Egyptian-British archaeological mission has unearthed an ancient royal tomb at the Western Wadis (Valleys) of the Theban Necropolis on the west bank of the Nile River in the southern Egyptian city of Luxor, Egypt’s Tourism Ministry announced on Saturday. The tomb is located in Valley C, one of the Theban mountain valleys, according to the secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri. “Preliminary evidence uncovered inside the cemetery so far indicates that it may date back to the Thutmosid period of the 18th Dynasty, which will be verified in the coming period,” he said.
The director of the Western Wadis archeological site, Mohsen Kamel, said the tomb was, unfortunately, poorly preserved due to floods in ancient times. The floods deposited thick layers of sand and limestone that obliterated many features and inscriptions that otherwise would have been visible in the tomb’s chambers.
The 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt was in power from approximately 1543 BCE to 1292 BCE. It is considered one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of ancient Egypt. It was during this time that many of the famous pharaohs such as Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses II reigned. The dynasty is known for its military conquests, building projects, and cultural achievements.
The Thutmosid period started around 1504 BCE, when the third pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, Thutmose I, came to power. He ruled for approximately 15 years and was succeeded by his daughter Hatshepsut, who is considered one of ancient Egypt’s most successful pharaohs. The dynasty’s power declined toward the end of the reign of Thutmose III, and the dynasty came to an end with the reign of Amenhotep II, around 1401 BCE.