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Homeowner's Clue Leads to Massive Egyptian Discovery
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- Archaeologists discovered two colossal statues believed to depict Pharaoh Ramses II after a homeowner in Behebat al-Hijara village found an inscribed ancient stone.
- The head of one statue is over 5 feet long and features Ramses II wearing the double crown symbolizing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, with the full statue estimated to have stood about 28 feet tall.
- A second statue fragment, nearly 8 feet long, likely also represents Ramses II, shown with a royal striped headdress.
- The statues were found near a pink granite block inscribed with Ramses II's royal titles, including "King of Upper and Lower Egypt" and "Son of Ra."
- Excavations are ongoing, and the homeowner who reported the find was honored with an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca by Egyptian authorities.
