Tag: 19th dynasty

Ramesses II temple discovered at Beni Suef, Upper Egypt

The mummy of Ramesses II Archaeologists excavating at Ahnasia in Upper Egypt, have unearthed the remains of a 3,300-year-old temple built by pharaoh Ramesses the Great.

According to a statement released by the SCA, excavations at Ahnasia, an archaeological area in Beni-Suef, recently uncovered remains of a temple that can be dated to the reign of 19th Dynastyking Ramesses II .

Dr. Sabri Abdel Aziz, Head of the Pharaonic Sector in the SCA, said that inside the remains of the New Kingdom temple, excavators uncovered ten cartouches of Ramesses II and beneath them a relief saying that the ruler had ordered the construction of this temple in Ahnasia.

The excavation team, said Abdel Aziz, will continue excavation of the temple during the next archaeological season.

Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC), son of Seti I, is also known as Ramesses the Great. He is regarded as one of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs andwas nicknamed ‘the Great Ancestor’ by his successors.

His reign sawthe construction of many great structures- the famous twin temples at Abu Simbel, carved out of the rocks as an everlasting monument to himself and queen Nefertari and the Ramesseum at Thebes, as well as Pi-Ramesses, a city complete with zoo near the old city of Avaris.

In 1881, the red-headed mummy of Ramesses II was discovered in the Royal Cache. Itis nowon display at the Cairo Museum.

A collection of mud-brick structures dated to the fourth and fifth century AD were also unearthed at the archaeological site. Inside these builds, a collection of terracotta statues depicting Isis, Aphrodite and Horus were discovered.

Nearby, The Beni-Suef museum is being reorganized as part of the Ministry of Cultures initiative to refurbish and develop museums around Egypt.

The museum’s refurbishment involves extending the museums display area and transferring the administrative offices to the basement. The building suffered major water damage due to subterranean water, which has seeped into some of the walls of the museums galleries. New lighting and security systems are being installed as well.

Tomb of Ken-Amun is First Ramesside Tomb Discovered in Lower Egypt

excavations at tell-el-maskhuta lower egypt still continue after the discovery of a 19th dynasty tomb The first ever Ramesside period tomb has been found in Lower Egypt. The 3300-year-old tomb – belonging to Ken-Amun, a government official – has been discovered by an SCAmission at Tell el-Maskhuta. The excavations have also revealed 35 Roman tombs.

Click the images for a larger version.

In a statement released by the antiquities council, Dr Zahi Hawass reported that the tomb is of very high quality, and beautifully decorated and inscribed with scenes known from the Ramesside Period. It dates to the 19th Dynasty (1315-1201 BC) and is constructed of mud brick and consists of a rectangular room with a domed ceiling made of stone, and a deep square-shaped shaft.

Inside the tomb a large limestone sarcophagus containing inscriptions on the inner and outer surface was found.

The tomb walls are decorated with scenes depicting the owner of the tomb and inscribed with the titles of the deceased, Ken-Amun, and the name of his wife, Isis. Ken-Amun was overseer of the royal records and Isis was a singer of the god Atum.

The ancient tomb is decorated in sunken relief with different religious and funerary scenes; the most important scenes are one from the Book of the Dead Chapter 125, as well as one of women mourning the dead. Other important scenes include a depiction of the goddess Hathor in the shape of a cow, emerging from the Delta marshes, as well as a scene of the four sons of Horus.

Excavations will continue at the site, and conservation and restoration work will begin at the tomb. The discovery of this tomb will provide information about the history of the Delta and the geography of the area, as well as the relationship between this area and the eastern border of Egypt during the Ramesside period. This period encompasses the 19th and 20th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. It is named after ‘Ramesses’ (one to eleven), the name taken by the majority of the rulers of Egypt dating to this period of time.

Map of Avaris Cairo TEll el-maskhuta, ismalia suez canal In addition to this tomb, the excavation has found 35 tombs dating to the Roman Period, as well as a limestone stela inscribed with hieroglyphs containing the name of the Hyksos capital Avaris (near the modern city Tell el-Dab’a). The stela depicts the god Set in front of an unnamed 19th Dynasty King. The stela confirms the relationship between the site at Tell el-Maskhuta and Avaris.

Tell el-Maskhuta is located in the Wadi Tumilat near the eastern branch of the Nile that connects with the Suez Canal. When the Suez Canal was being constructed, many sphinx statues of Ramesses II were found. It is known that the ancient city at Tell el-Maskhuta contained a settlement in the Ramesside Period with a temple for Atum as well as a garrison, which stored supplies to equip the ancient Egyptian army before they went east to the border on their military campaigns.

Together with yesterday’s announcement of the 14 Graeco-Roman tombs discovered at the Bahariya Oasis, this brings the total to 49 Roman Tombs, one female Roman mummy and one Ramesside tomb in less than 48 hours.