Ramses II is one of the ancient world's most famous leaders. A rising water table, industrial waste, and piling rubble have made excavation of the ancient site difficult. The discovery was made by a joint effort between Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities and researchers from the University of Leipzig. The remains lack an inscription bearing the pharaoh's name, but the discovery's proximity to a temple devoted to Ramses suggest the statue is of his likeness, the ministry says.Ī limestone statue of Pharaoh Seti II, the grandson of Ramses II, was also found at the site. The Antiquities Ministry in Egypt is hailing the discovery as significant. The 26-foot statue is made of quartzite and could be up to 3,000 years old. ![]() Photograph by Ibrahim Ramadan, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images The statues were found in parts in the vicinity of the King Ramses II temple in the ancient city Heliopolis, also known as Oun, by a German-Egyptian archaeological mission. "We found the bust of the statue and the lower part of the head and now we removed the head and we found the crown and the right ear and a fragment of the right eye," Khaled al-Anani, Egypt's antiquities minister, told Reuters.Ī quartzite colossus possibly of Ramses II and limestone bust of Seti II are seen after they were discovered at the ancient Heliopolis archaeological site in Matareya area in Cairo, Egypt on March 9, 2017. The likeness of what may be Pharaoh Ramses II was found submerged in groundwater in a working-class neighborhood of Cairo. Other fragments of the statue will need to be studied to confirm the identity with certainty.Īrchaeologists from Egypt and Germany have discovered the remains of an ancient Egyptian statue they believe could depict one of history's most famous rulers. If true, researchers believe it would be the largest statue from the Late Period ever discovered. ![]() The statue's other characteristics led archaeologists to believe that the artifact came from Egypt's Late Period. The biggest clue pointing to the statue's true identity was the discovery of an inscription on it that read "Nebaa," a name closely linked to Psammetich I. Update on March 17: What was first believed to be a depiction of Pharaoh Ramses II is now more likely thought to be King Psammetich I, who ruled Egypt from 664 to 610 BC, according to Egyptian antiquities officials.
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