Art World
2,500-Year-Old Relief Discovered in Egyptian Quarry
Henri Neuendorf
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A team of archaeologists from Sweden’s Lund University have discovered 2,500-year-old relief depicting two pharaonic deities, the Saudi Gazette has reported.
The relief depicting the ancient gods Amun-Ra and Thoth was found carved into a wall in a quarry outside of Aswan, located 850 kilometers (528 miles) south of Cairo. The quarry is believed to be the source of the stone used to build the Karnak and Luxor temples.
The Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh Eldamaty expressed his delight at the discovery, and the head of Upper Egypt’s Antiquities authority, Ali al-Asfar, told AFP that the rare find was unique because it is one of the “few available sculptures combining the two deities—Amun-Ra and Thoth.” The ancient artwork shows Thoth, the god of wisdom with the body of a man and the head of a bird, and Amun-Ra, the king among gods.
Based on another nearby relief showing two obelisks being transported, the team believe that the etchings could date to the 18th dynasty.
The discovery is the second major ancient Egyptian archaeological find this week. Czech researchers unearthed a tomb belonging to the previously unknown Khentakawess III, wife of Pharaoh Neferefre, who ruled Egypt 4,500 years ago.
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