Archaeologists discover 'Lost Golden City of Luxor'
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of an ancient city in the desert outside Luxor ion Egypt. They say it dates back to the golden age of the pharaohs more than 3,000 years ago.
Largest ancienct city unearthed in Egypt
The ancient city, reported to be the largest ever found in Egypt, dates back to the era of king Amenhotep III, who ruled the ancient kingdom from 1391 to 1353 BC. That's according to Zahi Hawass, the Egyptian archaeologist who led the expedition. "Many foreign missions searched for this city and never found it," Hawass, a former antiquities affairs minister, said in an online statement.
Culture-dating instead of carbondating
Digs unearthing rings, scarabs, colored pottery vessels and mud bricks bearing seals of king Amenhotep III have helped to confirm the dating of the city, archeologists say. "The discovery of this lost city is the second most important archaeological discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamun," said Betsy Brian, a professor of Egyptology at John Hopkins University.
Lost under layers of sand
The above photo taken on April 8, 2021 shows a preserved animal skeleton that has been in place for thousands of years under the desert sands. It is part of what was unearhed during seven months of excavations at the site that has been dubbed the "Lost Golden City" in Luxor.
Untouched for millenia
Excavations between the temples of Ramses III and Amenhotep III near Luxor had started in September 2020, about 500 kilometers south of Cairo. Within weeks, the team found mud bricks. "What they unearthed was the site of a large city in a good condition of preservation, with its walls almost intact, and with rooms filled with tools of daily life," said the archeology team in a statement.
Human skeleton among digs
The team unearthed several neighborhoods, discoveriung things like a bakery complete with ovens and storage pottery, as well as administrative and residential districts. The city "will give us a rare glimpse into the life of the ancient Egyptians at the time where the empire was at his wealthiest," says US professor of Egyptian art and archaeology, Betsy Bryan.
Pharaoh's Golden Parade
Just days ago, king Amenhotep III made the news in connection with a lavish parade of vehicles bearing the mummies of 22 ancient Egyptian kings and queens that paraded through Cairo to take them to the new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The national treasures are on display at the new Royal Hall of Mummies — among them the mummified remains of Amenhotep III.