Sphinx-like Roman era statue unearthed in Egypt
Mar 12, 2023 15:09:12 GMT
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Post by no1novice on Mar 12, 2023 15:09:12 GMT
Smiley, dimpled sphinx-like Roman era statue unearthed in Egypt
The artefacts were found in the temple of Dendera in Qena Province, 450 kilometres south of the capital Cairo, the antiquities ministry said in a statement.
Tuesday 07/03/2023
An Egyptian worker unearthing a statue of the Sphynx near the Dendera Temple in the Qena governorate. (AFP)
Cairo
Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed a sphinx statue "with a smiley face and two dimples" near the Hathor Temple, one of the country's best-preserved ancient sites, the tourism and antiquities ministry announced on Monday.
It is the latest in a series of discoveries revealed over the past few months.
The limestone artefact, believed to be a stylised representation of a Roman emperor, was found inside a two-level tomb near the temple in southern Egypt, the ministry said in a statement.
Next to the "beautifully and accurately carved" sphinx, researchers had found "a Roman stele written in demotic and hieroglyphic" scripts, the ministry's statement said.
Once fully deciphered, the stele may shed light on the identity of the sculpted ruler, who the Egyptian research team said could be Emperor Claudius, who extended Rome's rule into North Africa between 41 and 54 AD.
The artefacts were found in the temple of Dendera in Qena Province, 450 kilometres south of the capital Cairo, the antiquities ministry said in a statement.
It said archaeologists will conduct more studies on the markings on the stone slab, which could reveal more information to statue’s identity and the area. The statue is much smaller than the towering, well-known Sphinx in the Pyramids of Giza complex, which is 20 metres high.
The limestone shrine with its two-layer platform and a mud-brick basin is from the Byzantine era, the ministry said.
Such discoveries are usually touted by the Egyptian government in hopes of attracting more tourists, a significant source of foreign currency for the cash-strapped North African country.
thearabweekly.com/smiley-dimpled-sphinx-roman-era-statue-unearthed-egypt
