The Swedish-Egyptian mission led by Dr. Maria Nilsson and John Ward (Lund University), found a New Kingdom sandstone workshop and several sculptures during excavations at Gebel el-Silsila archaeological site in Aswan.
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| Excavation work at the archaeological site in Gebel El-Silsila [Credit: The Gebel el-Silsila Project 2019] |
Dr. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, pointed out the discovery of a large ram-headed sphinx in the workshop area. The sphinx, approximately 5 m. long, 3.5 m. high, and 1.5 m.wide, finds a parallel to the ram-headed sphinxes of the area south of the Khonsu Temple at Karnak. A roughly-cut uraeus (coiled cobra) found embedded in the walls of the workshop was to crown the head of this large ram-headed sphinx.
The context allows archaeologists to date the finds back to the era of Pharaoh Amenhotep III of the 18th Dynasty.
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| General overview prior to excavation [Credit: The Gebel el-Silsila Project 2019] |
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| General overview during excavations [Credit: The Gebel el-Silsila Project 2019] |
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| The excavated sphinx [Credit: The Gebel el-Silsila Project 2019] |
Abdel Moneim Saeed (Director General of Aswan and Nubia Antiquities) said that researchers also unearthed hundreds of fragments from a Naos of Amenhotep III (Naos E), all inscribed in hieroglyphs. They also found other fragments associated with the sculpture of a falcon. In addition, archaeologists retrieved parts of an obelisk, including its pyramidion, and a blank round-top stela.
Nilsson said that during excavations, the team also discovered a smaller piece, of another ram-headed sphinx; probably the work of an apprentice.
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| Fragment of winged solar disk [Credit: The Gebel el-Silsila Project 2019] |
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| Part of the cartouche of Amenhotep III (Neb-Maat-Re) [Credit: The Gebel el-Silsila Project 2019] |
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| Pharaoh wearing the blue crown [Credit: The Gebel el-Silsila Project 2019] |
The sculptures are roughly cut and had been prepared for transportation. They likely abandoned at Gebel el-Silsila as the larger sphinx broke. Since then, later Roman quarrying activity buried the sphinxes into the soil.
For more information see the
Gebel el Silsila Project websiteSource: Egypt. Ministry of Antiquities [February 26, 2019]
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