CAIRO, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has identified the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II, the last lost royal tomb of the kings of the 18th Dynasty, in the Theban mountain region west of Luxor, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced.
It marks the first discovery of a royal tomb since King Tutankhamun's tomb was unearthed in 1922, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Egyptian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy praised the ongoing excavations by a joint Egyptian-British archaeological mission, which continue to unveil treasures of Egypt's ancient civilization.
The joint mission initially found the tomb's entrance and main corridor in 2022, but experts then believed it might belong to a queen due to its proximity to the tombs of royal wives, according to Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).
"This is one of the most important archaeological discoveries in recent years, as the artifacts uncovered are a significant addition to the history of the site and the era of King Thutmose II," the SCA chief added.
He noted that this was also the first time the funerary furniture belonging to Thutmose II had been found.
