Questions about Thutmose I
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who was Thutmose I and when did he reign?
Thutmose I was the third pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt, reigning from approximately 1506 to 1493 BC under the low chronology, or 1526 to 1513 BC under a minority high chronology. He was likely of non-royal birth, the son of a woman named Senseneb, and came to the throne after the death of Amenhotep I.
What military campaigns did Thutmose I lead?
Thutmose I campaigned in both Nubia and the Levant, pushing Egypt's borders farther than ever before in each direction. In Nubia he personally killed a rebel king, built a fortress at Tombos near the third cataract, and left an inscription at Kurgus south of the fourth cataract, the furthest south the Egyptian presence is attested. He also campaigned into Syria and the Levant, with sources from his reign containing what is believed to be the first historical reference to the kingdom of Mitanni.
Why is Thutmose I significant in the history of the Valley of the Kings?
Thutmose I is the first king confirmed to have been buried in the Valley of the Kings, in a tomb designated KV38, which was dug by the architect Ineni. His predecessor Amenhotep I may have preceded him there, but Thutmose I's burial is the earliest that is confirmed.
What did Thutmose I build at the Temple of Karnak?
Under the supervision of the architect Ineni, Thutmose I was the first king to drastically enlarge Karnak. He built the fourth and fifth pylons, a surrounding enclosure wall, and a hypostyle hall with cedar wood columns between pylons four and five. He also erected colossal statues along the hall's edges and two obelisks outside the fourth pylon.
What happened to Thutmose I's sarcophagus after his death?
Thutmose I had two sarcophagi associated with him. One in KV20 was originally carved for Hatshepsut, who donated it to her father after commissioning a new one for herself; stonemasons re-carved it with Thutmose's name and it was later presented to Theodore M. Davis and donated to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A second sarcophagus in KV38 was provided by Thutmose III, but that tomb was plundered late in the 20th Dynasty and the lid was broken.
Has the mummy of Thutmose I been identified?
The identification is disputed. Egyptologist Gaston Maspero identified an unlabelled mummy, number 5283, as Thutmose I based on its resemblance to the mummies of Thutmose II and Thutmose III. However, in 2007 Zahi Hawass announced that this mummy belonged to a man of about thirty years old who died from an arrow wound to the chest, making it unlikely to be Thutmose I, who reigned for roughly twelve years and was described as over fifty at death. The mummy, now carrying inventory number CG 61065, was moved to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in April 2021.