King Thutmose II: The Unexpected Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt

King Thutmose II (sometimes read as Tuthmosis or Tuthmosis II, Tuthmosis in older history works in Greek; Ancient Egyptian meaning “Thoth is born”) which known as “God without a mother “There are another story says that it Known as “self-created at first “. was the son of Thutmose I and a underage wife, Monforte.

He was, therefore, a minimum son of Thutmose I and chose to marry his completely royal half-sister, Hatshepsut, in order to secure his royalism.

While he successfully put down revolutions in Nubia and the Levant and defeated a group of nomad Bedouins, this campaigns were specifically take out by the king’s Generals, and not by King Thutmose II himself.

 

This is often explain as certificate that Thutmose II was still small at his accession. King Thutmose II fathered Neferure with Hatshepsut, as well as a male heir, the famous King Thutmose III, by a minimum wife called Iset before his death.

 

Archaeologists believe that Hatshepsut was the real power behind the throne during King Thutmose II’s rule because of the similar local and foreign policies that were later pursued under her reign and because of her demand that she was her father’s intended heir.

Hatshepsut is depicted in several raised relief scenes from a Karnak gateway dating to King Thutmose II’s reign both together with her husband and alone.

 

Hatshepsut later had herself crowned Pharaoh many years into the rule of her husband’s young heir Thutmose III; this is confirmed by the fact that “the queen’s agents actually replaced the king’s name in a few places with her own cartouches” on the gateway.

 

Thutmose II’s mummy was discovered in the Deir el-Bahri heading, discovered in 1881.

He was buried along with other 18^th and 19^th dynasty leaders including Ahmose I, Amenhotep I, Thutmose I, Thutmose III, Ramesses I, Seti I, Ramesses II, and Ramesses IX.

It included a label that showed it had been re-wrapped in the Twenty-first Dynasty. It’s mummy can be viewed today in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.

On July 1 the mummy was unwrapped by Gaston Maspero .

There is a powerful familial similarity to the mummy of Thutmose I, his likely father, as the mummy’s face and shape of the head are very similar.

King Thutmose II body was suffered greatly at the hands of ancient tomb robbers, with his left arm broken off at the shoulder-joint, the forearm detached at the elbow joint, and his right arm chopped off below the elbow.

His anterior abdominal wall and much of his chest had been hacked at, maybe by an axe.

In addition, his right leg had been cut from his body.  These injuries were discovered post-mortem, although the body also presented signs that King Thutmose II did not have an soft life.

James Harris and Fawzia Hussien (1991) conducted an X-ray survey on New Kingdom royal mummies and checked the mummified remains of King Thutmose II.

The results of the study determined that the mummy of Thutmose II had a craniofacial effect measurement that is joint among Nubian people .

Thutmose II mummy has the inventory number CG 61066.

Thutmose II mummy was moved from the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities to National Museum of Egyptian Civilization straight with those of 17 other kings and 4 queens in an event named the Pharaohs’ Golden Parade In April 2021.

It is difficult for historians to set the correct length of King Thutmose II’s reign. Historians think he ruled between 3 and 13 years. After King Thutmose II death, Hatshepsut had removed his name from monuments and temples.

Hatshepsut removed her husband’s name, and replaced it with her own. When Hatshepsut died Thutmose III took over as Pharaoh and no longer co-regent, he seeks for putting his father’s name back onto some of these buildings. Scolars have inconsistencies in pinpointing his reign to be approximately from 1493 BC to 1479 BC.

 

The plurality of pharaohs known from the numerous monuments and they erected. However , Hatshepsut changed his name to her own and replaced it.

His son Thutmose III ordered the inscription of Thutmose II’s name on numerous monuments.

This makes it challenging for those researching King Thutmose II to understand what he in fact produced.

King Thutmose II buildings are still constructed at Semna , Kumma , and Elephantine.

His largest structure was a limestone doorway at Karnak that formerly set in the forecourt of the Fourth Pylon. Only Thutmose II’s son Thutmose III’s rule saw the completion of this monument. This indicates that Thutmose II’s reign was not long.

King Amenhotep III later destroy down the gateway and used its components to set the Third Pylon’s institution.

There was a Kush rebellion when King Thutmose II became king. The Thutmose I fortress was where the Egyptians left to hiding.

King Thutmose II send an army into Nubia despite being too young to share in combat.

The military generals of his father helped to set an end to the uprising quickly.

In the Sinai, Thutmose appears to have share in warfare with the Shasu Bedouin.

Although it was only a small attack, the troops travelled as far as Syria or Upper Retenu. This may submit that the operation against the Shasu was only done in while travelling to Syria.

Thutmose II, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, is remembered as a significant ruler whose legacy lives on through artifacts housed in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, where he is honored as a symbolic lord of the collection.

His burial chambers, though modest compared to other pharaohs, revealed remarkable finds, including fragments of alabaster jars used for ceremonial purposes.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism highlights his contributions in exhibitions, often surrounded by decor featuring yellow stars, symbolizing eternity and divine protection in the afterlife.

Conclusion

King Thutmose II, a significant ruler of the 18th Dynasty, is best known for his military campaigns and strategic alliances that bolstered his reign. To secure his kingship, he chose to marry his fully royal half-sister, Hatshepsut, a move that not only consolidated power but also aligned their claims to the throne.

Thutmose faced several challenges during his reign, including rebellions in Nubia and the Levant, where he successfully defeated a group of nomadic Bedouins, showcasing his military prowess. Despite his achievements.

Thutmose suffered greatly at the hands of ancient tomb robbers, leaving behind a fragmented legacy; he was found with his left arm broken off at the shoulder joint, the forearm separated at the elbow joint, and his right arm chopped off below the elbow.

These injuries highlight the struggles that kings faced in protecting their tombs and treasures.

The foundation of the real power behind the throne during Thutmose II can also be traced to the influence of Hatshepsut, who would later assume the throne herself.

Ultimately, Thutmose II laid the groundwork for his son, Thutmose III, and future pharaohs like Ramesses, ensuring the continuity of Egypt’s strength and influence.

King Thutmose II faced numerous challenges during his reign, including rebellions in Nubia and the Levant, which he successfully quelled, and he also defeated a group of nomadic Bedouins.

However, his reign was not without personal tragedy; Thutmose II suffered greatly at the hands of ancient tomb robbers, and his mummy shows that his left arm was broken off at the shoulder joint, his forearm separated at the elbow, and his right arm chopped off below the elbow.

Many scholars believe that the disease of the real power behind the throne was due to the influence of his powerful queen, Hatshepsut, who later assumed a more prominent role.

Thutmose III, his successor, eventually became one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs, while Ramesses came from a later dynasty that also solidified Egypt’s power.

Pharaoh Thutmose II, an 18th Dynasty ruler of ancient Egypt, was recently the focus of renewed interest thanks to findings highlighted by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

According to Egyptologist Piers Litherland, while the original tomb of Thutmose II in the Valley of the Kings was likely robbed in antiquity, his mummy was later hidden in a royal cache to protect it.

This royal tomb concealment helped preserve his remains, offering valuable insight into the life and reign of this often-overlooked pharaoh