Egypt announces the discovery of the "Lost City" in Luxor
Egyptology at Johns Hopkins University, USA: The discovery of the lost city of the “Ascension of the Aten” is the second important archaeological discovery after the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
The Egyptian mission, headed by Dr. Zahi Hawass, the former Minister of Antiquities, discovered the lost city under the sand, which was called "The Rise of the Aten", which dates back to the reign of King Amenhotep III. The city continued to be used by Tutankhamun 3000 years ago. Dr. Zahi Hawass said that work began in this area to search for the funerary temple of King Tutankhamun. Because the temples of both "Horemheb" and "Ai" were found before.
Hawass emphasized that the mission found the largest city ever in Egypt, which was founded by one of the greatest rulers of Egypt, King Amenhotep III, the ninth king of the Eighteenth Dynasty, who ruled Egypt from 1391 to 1353 BC, and his son shared with him The future heir to the throne is Amenhotep IV Akhenaten, the last 8 years of his reign.
Hawass added that this city was the largest administrative and industrial settlement in the era of the Egyptian Empire on the West Bank of Luxor, where houses were found in the city, some of which were about 3 meters high, and separated by streets. Deir el-Madina is part of our city.
Excavations began in September 2020, and within weeks, mud brick formations began to appear in all directions. Archeologist were astonished when they discovered that the site is a large city in a good state of preservation, with almost complete walls and rooms full of tools of daily life. The archaeological layers have remained untouched for thousands of years, and the ancient inhabitants left them as if they were there yesterday.
For her part, Dr. Betsy Brian, professor of Egyptology at Johns Hopkins University, said that the discovery of this lost city is the second important archaeological discovery in Egypt after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb. She explained that the discovery of this city, not only gave Egypt a rare glimpse into the lives of the ancient Egyptians in the era of the empire, but would also help shed light on one of the greatest mysteries in history, and why did Akhenaten and Nefertiti decide to move to Amarna ?
The excavations are located between the Temple of Ramses III in Medinet Habu and the Temple of Amenhotep III in Memnon.
The Egyptian mission began working in this area in search of the mortuary temple of Tutankhamun. It was King Ay, Tutankhamun's successor, who built his temple on a site that was later adjacent to its southern side with the Temple of Ramses III in Medinet Habu.
The first objective of the expedition was to determine the history of this city, as hieroglyphic inscriptions were found on ceramic covers of wine pots. Historical references tell us that the city consisted of 3 royal palaces of King Amenhotep III, in addition to the administrative and industrial center of the empire.
A large number of archaeological discoveries have confirmed the history of the city, such as rings, scarabs, colored pottery, and mud bricks bearing the seals of King Amenhotep III's cartouche. After only seven months of excavation, several areas or neighborhoods in that city were discovered.
In the southern part, the mission found the bakery, cooking area and food preparation places complete with ovens and pottery storage utensils, which served a large number of workers and employees.
The second area, which was partially revealed, represents the administrative and residential district, as it includes larger, well-organized units. This area is enclosed by a meandering wall, with only one entry point leading to internal corridors and residential areas. This single entrance makes the archeologists believe that it was a kind of security in terms of being able to control entry and exit into enclosed areas.
Zigzag walls are a rare architectural element in ancient Egyptian architecture, and were mainly used at the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty.
The third area is a workshop. On one side, it includes the area for the production of mud bricks used for building temples and accessories. The bricks contain seals bearing the cartouche of King Amenhotep III (Neb Maat Ra).
A large number of casting molds were discovered for the production of amulets and delicate decorative elements. This is another evidence of the extensive activity in the city for the production of decorations for both temples and tombs. Throughout the excavation areas, the mission found many tools used in industrial activity such as spinning and weaving, as well as metal and glass rubble, but the main area of such activity has not yet been discovered.
Two unfamiliar burials of a cow or a bull were also found inside one of the rooms, and the search is still going on; to determine the nature and purpose of these burials.
A fascinating burial of someone with arms outstretched at their side, and the remains of a rope wrapped around their knees, was also found. The location and position of this skeleton is rather strange, and there will be more research on this.
A pot containing two gallons of dried or boiled meat (about 10 kg) was found bearing valuable inscriptions that can be read: “ Year 37, Boiled Meat for the Third Sedd Valentine’s Day from the Butcher’s Barn Kha, made by the butcher Ewi. ” This valuable information not only gives us the names of two people who lived and worked in the city, but also confirms that the city was active and determines the time of the participation of King Amenhotep III with his son Akhenaten.
The mission also found a text engraved on a seal print that reads: " Jem Ba Aten " meaning the province of the shining Aten, and this is the name of a temple built by King Akhenaten at Karnak.
A large tomb was uncovered, the extent of which has not yet been determined. The archeologists discovered a group of rock-cut tombs of various sizes, which can be accessed through stairs carved in the rock. Work is still in progress and the team expects to uncover untouched tombs full of treasures soon.
Ongoing excavations are giving archaeologists access to the city's original layer of activity, where history-changing information has been unearthed, giving them unique insight into the Tutankhamun's family.
The discovery of the lost city will also provide a deeper understanding of the daily life of the ancient Egyptians in terms of the style of building and decoration of the houses, the tools they used and how the work was organized.
Only a third of the area has been excavated so far, and the expedition will continue its excavations, including the area that has been identified as the possible site of Tutankhamun's funeral temple.
Hawass concluded by saying: we have a lot of information about tombs and temples, but this is the first time that secrets about the lives of the kings of the golden age of Egypt are revealed.
