Top Photo: Relief of Thutmose II at Karnak
An ancient royal tomb has been discovered in Egypt, the first royal tomb of a PHARAOH found in more than 100 years!
The tomb belongs to King Thutmose II, who REIGNED during the 15th century B.C. He was the husband of Queen Hatshepsut, who was later one of the only female pharaohs. Thutmose II and Hatshepsut ruled during one of Egypt’s most prosperous eras.
“It is one of the most important discoveries in this century because it was one of the tombs that we were not able to locate since the discovery of King Tut,” said Mohamed Ismail, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. Ismail is referencing King Tutankhamun, whose tomb was discovered in 1922 and was the last tomb belonging to a pharaoh to be unearthed.
The entrance and main corridor of Thutmose II’s tomb were first uncovered in 2022. It took months for the team to clear enough debris to enter the tomb, according to British archaeologist Piers Litherland, the mission’s field director.
The tomb is located near the city of Luxor, near the resting places of royal women. However, the team found the burial chamber was decorated, which indicated it was a pharaoh’s tomb.
“Part of the ceiling was still intact: a blue-painted ceiling with yellow stars on it. And blue-painted ceilings with yellow stars are only found in kings’ tombs,” pointed out Litherland.
The tomb was built in a vulnerable area, located under a waterfall. Litherland said the tomb had been deliberately emptied within a few years after Thutmose II was buried, seemingly after being flooded. This meant that archaeologists had to use what was left in the tomb to determine who it belonged to— inscriptions on pieces of alabaster jars.
Litherland said Thutmose II was moved to a second tomb, and that the location of that tomb has been identified as well. However, it is buried under 80 feet of rock and limestone plaster.
While his tomb has only recently been found, Thutmose II’s mummy was found in the 19th century and is in the Egyptian Museum of National Civilization.
Great Reads Receive Top 2025 Awards
The American Library Association announced its top prizes for literature at an ALA conference held in Phoenix in January. The 2025 honors included the Newbery Medal being awarded to “The First State of Being” by Erin Entrada Kelly and the Caldecott Medal going to illustrator Rebecca Lee Kunz for the picture book “Chooch Helped,” written by Andrea L. Rogers.
The ALA awards the Newbery to the most outstanding work of children’s literature and the Caldecott to the most outstanding picture book each year. The Newbery was first given in 1922. It is named for John Newbery, an 18th century English publisher credited with being the first to create books especially for children. The Randolph Caldecott Medal was established in 1937 and first awarded in 1938. It recognizes the artist of the most distinguished American picture book each year. It is named for a 19th century children’s illustrator.
“The First State of Being” tells the story of 12-year-old Michael. The year is 1999, and Michael is worried about computers creating chaos (Y2K) at the turn of the MILLENNIUM. Things take a turn toward the strange when a mysterious teen named Ridge appears. In a twist, Ridge is actually a time traveler from the future! The story explores friendship, family and first crushes in a fun and bittersweet story. Author Kelly previously had GARNERED the prestigious Newbery in 2018 for “Hello, Universe.”
Caldecott winner “Chooch Helped” follows a girl named Sissy as she deals with the frus-trations of her little brother, Chooch, and hisdesire to “help” her. It is a tale of family relations and being annoyed by a younger sibling.
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards honor outstanding African American authors and illustrators. The 2025 King illustrator award went to C.G. Esperanza for “My Daddy Is a Cowboy,” written by Stephanie Seales. This picture book shows a young girl and her dad taking a horseback ride.
