archeology
Thousands of mysterious skulls found in Egyptian temple
Archaeologists have discovered more than 2,000 mummified ram heads in a temple of Pharaoh Ramses II. They were probably offerings to worship the god-king.
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US archaeologists have discovered more than 2,000 mummified ram heads from the Ptolemaic period in the ancient city of Abydos.
AFP
The researchers from New York University also discovered mummies of sheep, dogs, goats, cows, gazelles and mongooses.
AFP
According to the head of the US mission, Sameh Iskandar, the ram’s heads are “offerings” that point to a worship cult of Pharaoh Ramses II, even 1,000 years after his death.
AFP
According to the director of the Supreme Antiquities Council, Mostafa Wasiri, the finds will help to learn more about the temple of Ramses II.
AFP
In addition to the animal mummies, the team also discovered remains of a sixth dynasty palace with walls about five meters thick, as well as several statues, papyrus, remains of ancient trees, leather clothing and shoes.
AFP
The predynastic site of Abydos is located around 500 kilometers south of the capital Cairo on the banks of the Nile and was famous in ancient times for the tomb of Osiris, the god of the dead.
AFP
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US archaeologists have unearthed mummified rams’ heads in a temple in Egypt.
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Numerous other animal mummies were also found in the temple of Ramses II in the ancient city of Abydos.
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The ram’s heads were probably offerings to worship Ramses II.
In the Temple of Ramses II in the ancient city More than 2000 mummified ram heads from the Ptolemaic period have been discovered in Abydos. Mummies of sheep, dogs, goats, cows, gazelles and mongooses were also found by US archaeologists of New York University exhumed at the famous archaeological site in southern Egypt, the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism announced in Cairo on Sunday.
Offerings for worship cult
According to the head of the US mission, Sameh Iskandar, the ram’s heads are “offerings” that point to a worship cult of Pharaoh Ramses II, even 1,000 years after his death. According to the director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Wasiri, the finds will help to learn more about the temple of Ramesses II and the activities that took place there from its construction between 2374 and 2140 BC and the Ptolemaic period (323-323 AD). to 30 BC) took place.
In addition to the animal mummies, the team also discovered remains of a sixth dynasty palace with walls about five meters thick, as well as several statues, papyrus, remains of ancient trees, leather clothing and shoes. The predynastic site of Abydos is located around 500 kilometers south of the capital Cairo on the banks of the Nile and was famous in ancient times for the tomb of Osiris, the god of the dead.
Just showmanship?
The Egyptian authorities had regularly reported archaeological finds in the past, but some experts criticized this as “gimmicky” because the finds were of little scientific importance.
The country with around 105 million inhabitants is in a severe economic crisis and is dependent on tourism, which employs two million people. By 2028, the government is targeting 30 million tourists a year, up from 13 million before the coronavirus pandemic.
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(AFP/bre)