Discovering The 3,000-year-old “Golden City” In Egypt Surprised Scientists
A “lost” Egyptian city was found this year. The researchers say this is “the second most important archaeological discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamun”.
Aten is referred to as “the second most important discovery since Tutankhamun”. Photo: GETTY
In recent times, a series of discoveries have been made in Egypt, which can rewrite the ancient history of the land. The first was the body of a nobleman, discovered two years ago. Dating back to about 4,000 years old, this is one of the oldest Egyptian mummies discovered to date.
Mummies have existed since the Old Kingdom, but through analysis, scientists were surprised by the sophistication of the embalming process as well as the materials used. Professor Salima Ikram, head of the Egyptology department at America’s Cairo University, told the Observer last month: “If this is indeed a mummy from the Old Kingdom, all the books on the mummification process and the calendar are. The history of the Old Kingdom will need to be revised”.
In addition, an excavation was carried out in April of this year, dubbed “the second most important archaeological discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamun” by Betsy Bryan, Professor of Egyptian Art and Archeology at the University of Johns Hopkins University.
Scientists have found the largest ancient city in Egypt, buried under the sand for millennia. Renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass confirmed the discovery of the “forgotten golden city”, near Luxor, the Valley of the Kings. The archaeologists said: “The Egyptian expedition, under the direction of Dr. Zahi Hawass, found the lost city under the sand. The city is 3,000 years old, dating back to the reign of Amenhotep. III, then Tutankhamun and Ay”.
Named after the Egyptian sun god Aten, the ancient city seems to be perfectly preserved. Excavations at the site first began in September 2020, under the direction of Dr. Hawass. The team excavated between the temples of Ramses III and Amenhotep III near Luxor, about 500 kilometers south of Cairo. They discovered the golden city by chance while searching for the ruins of the temple of Tutankhamum, commonly known as King Tut.
Dr. Hawass said in a statement: “This was the largest administrative and industrial settlement of the era of the Egyptian empire. Walls up to 3 meters high were found intact, in addition to the walls of the Egyptian empire. the room is filled with living utensils left by the ancient inhabitants, like it was yesterday!”
Ms. Bryan added that the discovery “will give us another look at the life of the ancient Egyptians at a time when the empire was at its richest”.