More than 2,000 mummified ram heads from the Ptolemaic period have been discovered in a temple of Ramses II in the ancient city of Abydos. Mummies of sheep, dogs, goats, cows, gazelles and mongooses were also excavated by American archaeologists from New York University at the famous archaeological site in southern Egypt.
According to the head of the US mission, Sameh Iskandar, the ram heads are “sacrifices” that indicate a cult of worship of Pharaoh Ramses II even 1,000 years after his death. According to the director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Wasiri, the finds will help to learn more about the temple of Ramses II and the activities that took place there from its construction between 2374 and 2140 BC and the Ptolemaic period (323 -323 to 30 BC) took place.
Also discovered statues, papyrus and clothes
In addition to the animal mummies, the team also discovered remains of a Sixth Dynasty palace with walls about five meters thick, as well as several statues, papyrus, remains of ancient trees, leather clothing and shoes, Cairo’s Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism said Sunday.
The predynastic site of Abydos is located about 500 kilometers south of the capital Cairo on the west bank of the Nile and was famous in ancient times for the tomb of Osiris, the god of the dead. In the so-called Middle Kingdom, Abydos developed into the main cult place of Osiris and served as the location for the annual Osiris Mysteries.
Archaeological finds have been regularly reported by Egyptian authorities in recent times, but some experts have criticized this as “gimmicky” as the finds were of little scientific interest.
The country on the Nile depends on tourism
The country with about 105 million inhabitants is in a serious economic crisis and depends on tourism, which provides employment for two million people. In 2028, the government is aiming for 30 million tourists a year – against 13 million visitors before the corona pandemic.
Source: Krone
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