A joint Egyptian-American archaeological mission has unearthed the upper part of a statue of Ramses II near the city of El-Ashmunein, at the site of the ancient city of Hermopolis in Minya Province. The discovery was announced by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The artifact was found nearly a century after the lower part of the statue was discovered. This ancient Egyptian relic is over 3,200 years old, according to Arkeonews.
Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, was one of the most powerful and renowned pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. He ruled for about 66 years during the 19th dynasty of the New Kingdom (from 1279 to 1213 BC). The pharaoh was famous for his military campaigns and architectural achievements, including the construction of numerous monumental structures such as the magnificent temples of Abu Simbel and the Ramesseum. Ramses the Great is also remembered as a skilled diplomat.
According to Mustafa Waziri, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, the limestone bust, standing 3.8 meters tall, corresponds to the lower part of the statue of the Egyptian pharaoh discovered in 1930.
The event was also commented on by the leaders of the archaeological mission, Bassem Jihad from the Supreme Council of Antiquities and Jovana Trnka from the University of Colorado. The statue depicts Ramses II seated on a throne, wearing the pharaonic headdress known as the nemes, adorned with the double crown featuring the image of the royal cobra. On the column behind the statue, researchers observed hieroglyphic inscriptions of the pharaoh’s titles and texts indicating the date of the sculpture’s creation.
Currently, archaeologists have begun the process of cleaning and conserving the statue. The next steps will involve further research and the final reconstruction of the relic.
According to the ministry’s statement, the complete statue, which will unite the two parts, will stand seven meters tall. Previously, we reported that scientists have reconstructed the face of the legendary pharaoh for the first time.