Archaeologists have uncovered several ancient Egyptian relics in Cairo at the Heliopolis temple, the site of an ancient and mysterious sun cult. Among the treasures recovered, the remains of royal statues, a block depicting King Ramesses II, as well as a section of a wall made of mud bricks.
The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities announced the discoveries during the thirteenth season of a joint mission by German and Egyptian archaeologists.
It comes as part of a joint excavation venture, known as the Heliopolis Project.
The artefacts are thought to mostly hail from the New Kingdom, which lasted from 1570 BC until 1070 BC, and the Hellenistic era, from 323 to 31 BC.
The latter period is of particular significance, having witnessed the death of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
The stone depicting King Ramsses II has a certain artistic importance, depicting the king as the form of the god Ra Horakhty — “the great god Lord of Heaven, ruler of Heliopolis”.
There was also a section from the base of a brown quartz state of King Seti II, who reigned from 1205 to 1194 BC.
Also discovered was a fragment from a red granite statue thought to portray the goddess Isis or Hathor, or an ancient Egyptian queen, as well as several pieces of ancient pottery.
The mud wall offered a glimpse into ancient Egyptian life, as a number of molds were retrieved that experts say would have been used for the production of amulets as well as parts of columns that had been rescued from the Old Kingdom – spanning from 2649 to 2130 BC.
JUST IN: Viking archaeology shock: Vikings SAVED Irish population
Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Department at the ministry, Dr Ayman Ashmawy said excavations and tests at locations close to the site of ancient industrial workshops also revealed a stretch of pavement around one meter below groundwater.
Previous dig sessions already unearthed fragments of giant statues.
Scientists earlier uncovered huge sculpted rocks that were thought to depict King Seti II and King Ramesses II, who extended the Egyptian Empire to Syria.
Although, recent research suggests the statue of King Ramesses II is in fact a rendering of King Psamtek I, the lesser known king who ruled between 664 to 610 BC.
Heliopolis is now a suburb in northeastern Cairo, and is believed to be one of the oldest cities in ancient Egypt.
According to the Heliopolis Project, the site was the geographical centre of the ancient empire’s mysterious sun cult, which little is known.
Researchers do know that the cult was a core feature of ancient Egyptian religion for over 3,000 years.
Followers believed Heliopolis to be the site of the world’s creation.
Today, archaeologists believe the temple to have been the model for temple complexes such as Karnak and Amarna, both of which sit in two different locations on the River Nile.