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A team of British and Egyptian archaeologists recently found a pharaoh’s tomb in Egypt. The tomb belongs to King Thutmose II.
This is the first pharaoh’s tomb found since King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in 1922.
The tomb is located near the city of Luxor, in a place called the Western Valleys. Archaeologists found this tomb in an area where royal women were buried.
When the team went inside, they saw a painted ceiling with blue and yellow stars. This kind of ceiling is only found in pharaohs’ tombs. This indicated it was a king’s tomb.
Archaeologist, Dr. Piers Litherland, said the tomb had a big staircase and hallway. It was also filled with rocks and dirt from floods. It took a long time to clear out.
Inside, the team found the tomb was empty, but it was not robbed. It was emptied a long time ago because of flooding. However, they did find broken pieces of jars that had the names of Thutmose II and his wife, Queen Hatshepsut. This helped them know who the tomb belonged to.
Thutmose II was an ancestor of King Tutankhamun. He was also the husband of Queen Hatshepsut, a famous female pharaoh.
The team thinks they know where Thutmose II’s other tomb might be. They hope it still has treasures inside.
This discovery is the result of more than 12 years of work by the team. They have found many other tombs in the area. This new find is important because it is the first royal tomb found in a long time.
Vocabulary
- Team – A group of people working together.
- British – Something or someone from the United Kingdom (UK)
- Egyptian – Something or someone from Egypt
- Archaeologist – Someone who studies things that people from long ago left behind (Indiana Jones is an archaeologist in the movies)
- Pharaoh – A king or queen in ancient Egypt
- Tomb – A room or space where someone is buried, usually underground
- Belong to – something or someone is owned by or is a part of a specific person or group
- Discover – to find, especially unexpectedly; to become aware of;
- Located – to be in a particular place; to be found in a specific spot; to be ‘there’;
- Royal – related to a king or queen; the family of a king or queen
- Bury – to put a dead person in the ground; lay to rest
- Ceiling – The top part of a room
- Indicate – To show; to point out;
- Staircase – many stairs together
- Hallway – A long passage inside a building
- Dirt – Soil or earth; the stuff on the ground
- Flood – too much water in a normally dry area; to cover an area with a lot of water
- Clear out – To remove things from a place; to make a space/room empty
- Rob – to steal from; to take something that’s not yours
- Piece – A small part of something bigger
- Jar – A container, often made of clay or glass
- Ancestor – someone who is related to you way back in the past; A family member who lived a long time ago
- Famous – Many people know it; Well-known or admired by many people
- Treasure – Something valuable/important that is hidden or hard to find; something very special
- Result – outcome; findings; conclusion; answer;
- Find – a discovery of something valuable, typically something of archaeological interest
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think finding ancient tombs is important?
- Do you think all ancient tombs have been found, or are there still more to discover?
- How do you think technology helps archaeologists find and study ancient artifacts?
- Have you ever been to Egypt? Would you like to visit? Why or why not?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
A team of _____ and Egyptian archaeologists recently found a pharaoh’s _____ in Egypt. The tomb belongs to King Thutmose II.
_____ is the first pharaoh’s tomb found since King Tutankhamun’s tomb was _____ in 1922.
The tomb is located _____ the city of Luxor, in a place called the Western Valleys. _____ found this tomb in an area where royal women _____ buried.
When the team went _____ , they saw a painted ceiling with _____ and yellow stars. This kind of ceiling is _____ found in pharaohs’ tombs. This indicated it was a king’s tomb.
Archaeologist, _____ . Piers Litherland, said the tomb had a big staircase and _____ . It was also filled with rocks and dirt from floods. It _____ a long time to clear out.
Inside, the _____ found the tomb was empty, but it was not robbed. It _____ emptied a long time ago because of flooding. _____ , they did find broken pieces of jars that had the names of Thutmose II and _____ wife, Queen Hatshepsut. This helped them know who the tomb _____ to.
Thutmose II was an ancestor of King Tutankhamun. _____ was also the husband of Queen Hatshepsut, a famous female pharaoh.
The team _____ they know where Thutmose II’s other tomb _____ be. They hope it still has treasures inside.
_____ discovery is the result of more than 12 years of work by the team. They have found _____ other tombs in the area. This new find is _____ because it is the first royal tomb found in a long time.
