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.
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.
Sandro Vannini has spent over a decade in Egypt capturing images of some of the greatest discoveries and treasures in history, such as the famous Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun. Heritage Key is working with Sandro to bring these stunning photographs to the internet, to spur the interest in our ancient past. To watch a slideshow of the photographs of the Tomb of Montuemhat, click any of the thumbnails below.
For his venture into TT34, Sandro used a Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n to photograph the archaeologists as they studied their finds, and worked to understand more about their discovery. These images are from the front line dig at this tomb, and along with the video, gives a fantastic insight into the work that goes into such archaeological excavations.
Don’t miss out on new treasures!
This post is part of a series focussing on amazing photographs from ancient Egypt. Keep checking back as well keep adding new images by Sandro Vannini. To make sure you don’t miss out on any of the updates, simply subscribe by email to receive notifications when new images are uploaded. For the more digitally advanced, there’s also an RSS feed with updates available.
See More Amazing Photography by Sandro
Have a look at some of the other stunning photographs by Sandro Vannini here at Heritage Key:
We’ll be sitting down with our favourite photographer for an extended chat soon, so if you have any questions for Sandro we’ll send the answers straight to you!
The Tomb of Montuemhat (TT34)
Montuemhat was a powerful and influential figure in Ancient Egypt who’s authority and stature was sufficient enough to carve out such a substantial resting place for himself in the necropolis of the pharaohs. But he wasn’t an Egypt king – from around 660-648 BC was Mayor of Thebes, and a highly skilled and crafty diplomat. Egypt underwent some tumultuous changes during his time in office, as the last Nubian kings of the 25th Dynasty, Taharqa and Tantamani, were driven back into Nubia, first by the invading Assyrians, then by the first kings of the 26th Dynasty.
During these instabilities, Montuemhat was able to leverage himself into a position of power, and effectively took control of Upper Egypt, in no small part thanks to his wife Wedjarenes, who happened to be the grand-daughter of the Nubian king Piye. Although Montuemhat may have been of Nubian descent himself, historical records suggest he held power in Egypt after the Nubians left and right up until his death.
The TT34 tomb may originally have been constructed for Montuemhat’s father, Nesptah theElder (who also served as Mayor of Thebes), as construction would have started when Montuemhat was a young man. Inscriptions within the tomb give Montuemhat – who also held the title of the Fourth Priest of Amun – such honoured titles as eyes of the king in all the land, prince of the deserts and keeper of the gate of the deserts.
The tomb itself bears no mention of Montuemhat’s first two wives – Neskhonsu and Shepenmut, and there is no evidence that either wife is buried in the tomb. Instead, the inscriptions concentrate solely on Montuemhat’s Kushite wife Wedjarenes. It is believed that they may have married in Nubia, and that she may be the reason that Montuemhat was selected to be the Governor of Upper Egypt. Wedjarenes was the grand-daughter of the Nubian King Piye.
The excavations inside TT34 continue as Dr Farouk Gomaa and his team search for the burial chamber of Montuemhat. The tomb of Montuemhat, the shaft of Montuemhat, we have not found, explains Gomaa. We hope we can find it, he adds.
HD Video: Dr Farouk Gomaa’s Search for the Chamber of Mayor Montuemhat
As Dr Gomaa and his team progress deeper into the Tomb of Montuemhat, Sandro’s lens captures the work that archaeologists put into the digs, documenting their finds and making notes about the wall paintings.
Sandro Vannini’s Photography
Sandro Vannini is an established photographer of Egyptology artefacts and ancient tombs, having spent that past decade capturing some of the world’s greatest treasures, including the Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun. Working with Sandro, Heritage Key is working to bring these images to the internet and give an insight into our fascinating past. To watch a slideshow of the photographs of the Tomb of Montuemhat, click any of the thumbnails below.
Inside the Tomb of the diplomat Montuemhat, Sandro used a Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n to capture photographs of the archaeologists as they excavate the tomb, and try to understand more about the discoveries they make. These front line images, coupled with the video, gives a fantastic insight into the archaeological dig at TT34.
Don’t miss out on new treasures!
This post is part of a series focussing on amazing photographs from ancient Egypt. Keep checking back as well keep adding new images by Sandro Vannini. To make sure you don’t miss out on any of the updates, simply subscribe by email to receive notifications when new images are uploaded. For the more digitally advanced, there’s also an RSS feed with updates available.
See More Amazing Photography by Sandro
Have a look at some of the other stunning photographs by Sandro Vannini here at Heritage Key:
We’ll be sitting down with our favourite photographer for an extended chat soon, so if you have any questions for Sandro we’ll send the answers straight to you!
The Tomb of Montuemhat (TT34)
Montuemhat’s status as “Mayor of the City of Thebes and Fourth Prophet of Amun” and one of the most powerful officials in South Egypt was high regarded, and as such, his tomb was one which reflected this. TT34, the Tomb of Montuemhat was one of the most lavishly decorated and largest tombs discovered belonging to a non-royal.
He was responsible for overseeing the construction projects being undertaken in Thebes. Supervising the works at Medinet Habu and Karnak, Montuemhat operated under Kings Taharqa and Tanutamun. During this time, the Mut Temple was rebuilt using materials from other earlier temples for construction. A small chapel was dedicated to Montuemhat in the east wall of the Mut Temple.
After Thebes was destroyed by invading Assyrian forces, Montuemhat became the ruler of Upper Egypt, and would later become the highest authority in Thebes. Found inside the tomb was the sarcophagus of Montuemhat’s son Nesptah. Wearing a wig common in the Twenty-Second Dynasty, the long wig extended down to the shoulders but left the ears uncovered.
Nesptah was the deputy of Thebes, or a second in command to his father Montuemhat. In a video interview with Dr Gomaa (Watch the Video here), he tells us how Nesptah’s burial chamber was discovered thanks to the actions of would-be thieves. The tomb robbers went inside the archaeological site and burned the wooden sarcophagus of Nesptah is order to light up the room and look for treasures to steal. However, the smoke from the fire alerted the attention of the authorities, and it wasn’t long before the police came to arrest them!
Work on excavating the tomb was originally started in 1941 by Zakaria Goneim who unfortunately committed suicide before the excavation was finished; a story recounted by Dr Zahi Hawass in another fascinating video (Watch the video). Dr Farouk Gomaa now leads the team excavating the tomb as they continue their search through the several chambers and passages to find the burial chamber of Montuemhat.
HD Video: Dr Farouk Gomaa’s Search for the Chamber of Mayor Montuemhat
The excavations at TT34 were photographed by Sandro as the archaeological team set about documenting the finds and detailing the tomb walls. The search for the sarcophagus of Montuemhat continues, as Dr Gomaa’s team progress deeper into the tomb.
Sandro Vannini’s Photography
Sandro Vannini has spent over a decade in Egypt capturing images of some of the greatest discoveries and treasures in history, such as the famous Golden Mask of King Tutankhamun. Heritage Key is working with Sandro to bring these stunning photographs to the internet, to spur the interest in our ancient past. To watch a slideshow of the photographs of the Tomb of Montuemhat, click any of the thumbnails below.
For his venture into TT34, Sandro used a Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n to photograph the archaeologists as they studied their finds, and worked to understand more about their discovery. These images are from the front line dig at this tomb, and along with the video, gives a fantastic insight into the work that goes into such archaeological excavations.
Don’t miss out on new treasures!
This post is part of a series focussing on amazing photographs from ancient Egypt. Keep checking back as well keep adding new images by Sandro Vannini. To make sure you don’t miss out on any of the updates, simply subscribe by email to receive notifications when new images are uploaded. For the more digitally advanced, there’s also an RSS feed with updates available.
See More Amazing Photography by Sandro
Have a look at some of the other stunning photographs by Sandro Vannini here at Heritage Key:
We’ll be sitting down with our favourite photographer for an extended chat soon, so if you have any questions for Sandro we’ll send the answers straight to you!
The Tomb of Montuemhat (TT34)
Montuemhat was an important enough figure to warrant his own tomb, yet he was not a Pharaoh. Montuemhat’s official title was “Mayor of the City of Thebes and Fourth Prophet of Amun” and was probably the most powerful official of the time in Southern Egypt. This tomb, TT34, was one of the most lavishly decorated and largest tombs of a non-royal that has been discovered to date.
As the Governor of Upper Egypt, Montuemhat was responsible for the construction work in Thebes and serving the Nubian Kings Taharqa and Tantamani, working with them on key projects such as developing the Mut Precinct of Karnak.
When the Nubian Kings were driven out by the invading forces of the Assyrians, and then replaced by the kings of the 26th Dynasty, Egypt was in a state of instability. It was at this time when Montuemhat effectively ruled Upper Egypt, and would hold this power right up until his death. During this time, Montuemhat saw it upon himself to build his tomb – a complex spanning several levels with numerous halls and an open courtyard at the centre.
The tomb itself bears no mention of Montuemhat’s first two wives – Neskhonsu and Shepenmut, and there is no evidence that either wife is buried in the tomb. Instead, the inscriptions concentrate solely on Montuemhat’s Kushite wife Wedjarenes. It is believed that they may have married in Nubia, and that she may be the reason that Montuemhat was selected to be the Governor of Upper Egypt. Wedjarenes was the grand-daughter of the Nubian King Piye.
Work on excavating the tomb was originally started in 1941 by Zakaria Goneim who unfortunately committed suicide while the dig was in progress; a story recounted by Dr Zahi Hawass in another fascinating video. Dr Farouk Gomaa now leads the team excavating the tomb as they continue their search through the several chambers and passages to find the burial chamber of Montuemhat.
HD Video: Dr Farouk Gomaa’s Search for the Chamber of Mayor Montuemhat
Us in the ‘modern world’ tend to think we’ve got the market cornered for most things, and partying is no different. Clubs, drugs, drink and casual sex may be frowned upon even by our elders at times, but it seems those in the ancient world had rather less stringent morals when it came to partying hard. And new research suggests the neon-lit acid haze of the eighties was far from the first movement to find a love for rave culture. It seems that rolling stones had barely been invented before the ancient world was partying like Keith Richards on closing night.
To the fertile banks of the Nile circa 1470 – 1460 BC, and a seemingly bizarre festival of drunkenness whereby Egyptians would achieve a religious epiphany only after entering into a state of total inebriation. John Hopkins University’s Near Eastern Studies chair Betsy Bryan discovered a column revealing the hedonistic hacienda in a 2006 excavation at Luxor, and subsequently released the results, triumphantly entitled Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ancient Egypt. Drunk students may have some pretty good excuses for rat-buttocked behaviour, but the Egyptian Festival of Drunkenness’ raison d’etre trumps anything ever uttered in a lecture hall at 9am. The ancient party centred on a myth in which the sun god Ra decides to wipe out humanity, then sends his daughter Hathor to earth in the form of a lioness. Hathor thus proceeds to devour every human she comes into contact with, while her father laments his decision and resolves to stop her. To end his daughter’s rampage, Ra floods all of Upper Egypt with red-tinted beer which looks like blood. Hathor then drinks the pungent cocktail, falls paralytically drunk, and mankind is saved.
To pay tribute to the tale, Egyptians would consume themselves into unconsciousness in the name of lioness deities, thinking they needed to get them drunk to keep them from doing ill. The annual event, celebrated over 20 days following the flooding of the farmland around the Nile, would involve drinking and promiscuity which would have been deemed immoral any other time of year. Some would even supplement their toxicity by taking the drug lotus, and loud music would be played all night until even the hardiest ravers had seen and taken enough. Bleary-eyed boozers would be rudely awoken early the next morning by a chorus of heavy drum-beating, and at this point they were said to have experienced the goddess to whom they were partying. Wow: those guys at the Hacienda really were late on the scene. Still, if anyone has been involved in a university freshers’ week, they’ll understand that drinking today can still take on religious qualities.
Archaeologists excavating at Ahnasia in Upper Egypt, have unearthed the remains of a 3,300-year-old temple built by pharaoh Ramesses the Great.
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