Archaeologists have discovered a sphinx statue in an ancient temple in southern Egypt
The sphinx statue was found during drainage work on the ancient temple of Kom Ombo. As reported by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, the statue is 38 centimetersóin height and 28 centimetersóin the width of.
It probably dates back to the time ofów, when Egypt was ruled by the Greco-Macedonian Ptolemaic dynastyów. The period of its governmentów falls in the years from 305 p.n.e. By 30 r. n.e.
The statue was found near the city of Aswan in southern Egypt. Groundwater drainage work at the Kom Ombo temple has been underway for several months now.
Shortly after work began, two sand reliefs were found there depicting Pharaoh Ptolemy V, które whose decree and noble deeds were inscribed on the famous Rosetta Stone. The text on the stone was written in Egyptian hieroglyphic and demotic script, as well as in Greek. The discovery marked a breakthrough in the reading of Egyptian hieroglyphicsów.
Ptolemy V Epiphanes reigned from 204 to 180 p.n.e. The temple of Kom Ombo was built by his successor Ptolemy VI Philometor, and was expanded by subsequent pharaohs. The temple was dedicated bócreatom – Horus and Sobek depicted as a human figure with the head of a crocodile. The mummified bodies of crocodiles were previously found in the temple.
Photo. Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities
Photo. Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities
The purpose and significance of the found sphinx figure are not yet known. In ancient Egypt, sphinxes were associated with pharaohs and often their statues were placed at the entrance to tombsów, as their guardians. Someóer rulers even had their likenesses carved in place of the Sphinx’s head to symbolize their close relationship with the lioness goddess Sechmet. Perhaps the head of the discovered statue represents the face of któregime of the pharaohsów of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
The statue was first examined on site before being taken to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Tam will be subjected to maintenance and exposed to the public. Further research will provide more information about the statue and the pharaoh, for whom theórego was created.
