Dazzling Carvings of Egyptian Pharaohs Found in the River Nile

A squad of archaeologists conscionable recovered large-scale inscriptions dedicated to pharaohs including Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III during an underwater survey of the Nile River successful Aswan.

The find was announced connected Facebook by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. According to the post, the ngo was a associated Egyptian-French task with the former’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and the second by the University of Paul Valéry Montpellier.

The carvings were recovered successful a portion of Aswan that was flooded erstwhile the Aswan High Dam was constructed successful the 1960s. Though galore archaeological finds and monuments were saved earlier the dam’s construction—including the Temple of Dendur that present sits successful New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art—some intelligibly did not marque it out. However, they person remained preserved nether the aboveground of the Nile.

Thutmose IV was an 18th dynasty king who ruled successful the aboriginal 14th period BCE. Amenhotep III ruled soon afterward, from 1390 BCE until 1353 BCE. (As an aside, Amenhotep III whitethorn person been the archetypal recipient of the dagger made of meteoritic iron that yet recovered its mode into the tomb of Tutankhamun.) The pharaonic depictions besides see mentions of the pharaoh Psamtik II and Apries.

According to Hesham El-Leithy, caput of the Supreme Council of Antiquities’ assemblage devoted to antiquities preservation, the caller survey besides progressive photogrammetry and archaeology drawings of the work.

More of the underwater carvings. © Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities

In the aforesaid release, Islam Selim, caput of the Underwater Antiquities section of the council, stated that the squad is present moving connected constructing 3D models of the inscriptions. The eventual extremity is to scientifically people the inscriptions.

Until then, you tin revel successful the images. The lone happening cooler than archaeological find is underwater archaeological discovery, I ever say. (I said that once.)

© Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities