The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Monday that a joint Egyptian-American expedition has uncovered the upper part of a colossal statue of Pharaoh Ramses II in the Ashmunein area of Minya governorate.
According to the ministry’s statement, Bassem Jihad, the head of the Egyptian side of the mission, reported that the newly discovered piece is made of limestone and stands 3.80 meters tall. He noted that when combined with the lower part found decades ago, the statue could reach an approximate height of 7 meters.
The discovered section depicts Ramses II seated, adorned with the double crown and a royal cobra headdress, and the upper part of the statue’s back pillar features hieroglyphic inscriptions praising the king’s titles.
The ancient city of Ashmunein, known in ancient Egypt as Khmun, meaning “City of the Eight,” was a center for the worship of the Egyptian Ogdoad and was known in the Greco-Roman period as Hermopolis Magna, serving as the cult center for the god Thoth and the capital of the 15th Nome.
Mustafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that archaeological studies conducted on the upper part of the statue confirmed it to be a continuation of the lower part discovered by German archaeologist Gunter Roeder in 1930.
The mission has commenced archaeological cleaning and reinforcement works in preparation for further study and to conceptualize the complete statue’s appearance.
For an English newspaper article with a high SEO score, consider using a title like “Colossal Ramses II Statue Fragment Found in Egypt.”
Ensure the article includes key phrases such as “Ramses II statue discovery,” “Egyptian-American archaeological mission,” “Ashmunein excavation,” and “ancient Egyptian artifacts,” to enhance visibility on search engines.
