‘Lost ancient city’ unveiled in Egypt
The team began excavations in September between the temples of Ramses III and Amenhotep III near Luxor, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) south of Cairo.
Archaeologists last week showed off their finds at what they say is the “largest” ancient city ever found in Egypt, dating to a golden age of the pharaohs 3,000 years ago. At the site near Luxor, home of the legendary Valley of the Kings, workers carefully carried ancient pots and showed human and animal remains dug up from the earth as members of the media toured around curved brick walls and rudimentary streets. “This is a large city that was lost. It was connected with the god Aton and Amenhotep III,” famed Egyptologist Zahi Hawass enthusiastically told media.
The team began excavations in September between the temples of Ramses III and Amenhotep III near Luxor, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) south of Cairo. Amenhotep III inherited an empire that stretched from the Euphrates River in modern Iraq and Syria to Sudan and died around 1354 BC, ancient historians say.
He ruled for nearly four decades, a reign known for its opulence and the grandeur of its monuments, including the Colossi of Memnon — two massive stone statues near Luxor that represent him and his wife.
‘Fantastic discovery’
- Jose Galan, head of a separate Spanish archaeological mission near the Valley of the Kings, told that the site was “a fantastic discovery”.
- Spaces include workshops for drying meat, making clothes and sandals, and crafting amulets and small statues.
- Artifacts including rings, scarabs and colored pottery confirmed the dating to the reign of Amenhotep III, who ruled Egypt from 1391 to 1353 B.C.
- A series of mud walls rising out of the sand, some about 10 feet tall and built in a zig-zag design characteristic of the period found. Other archaeologists had previously searched for and failed to find the city.
- With its storage houses, grinding stones, ovens and areas for meat production and everyday tools still intact, the site gives a rare glimpse into a working Egyptian city.
- The newly discovered city is now one of three sites from around the same period — Rameses III’s temple at Medinet Habu and Amenhotep III’s temple at Memnon — and the newly discovered city’s key role may be in confirming that things found there were common across the empire.
Efforts to boost tourism
After years of political instability following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, which dealt a severe blow to its tourism industry, Egypt is seeking to bring back visitors, in particular by promoting its ancient heritage.
Last week, the mummified remains of 18 ancient kings and four queens were transported across Cairo from the Egyptian Museum in iconic Tahrir Square to the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, in a procession dubbed the “Pharaohs’ Golden Parade” watched by millions.
