LoginMarch 17, 2017
Archaeologists had an unexpected discovery in the middle of Cairo, Egypt, a 3,000-year-old statue. The majority of the surrounding area of the statue had been previously investigated and it was believed that there was nothing else there to be found. As you can imagine this find was shocking to the archaeologists who discovered it!
Without any inscriptions connected to the statue, it is uncertain who exactly the newly discovered statue is depicting. The statue was discovered near the gate of a temple dedicated to Ramses II. Because of the proximity of the temple to the statue, it is believed that the statue is of Ramses II but it still isn’t a certainty.
Judging by the size of the head and torso, it is believed that the statue would stand 30 feet high.
The statue was found in a highly populated-residential area in Cairo and it appears the hips and legs will be too close to the homes for excavation. If dug up, they would be putting the safety of the residents on the line, so the hips and legs will likely stay buried.
Another unexpected find was a 31-inch section of a life-sized limestone statue of what is believed to be Ramses II's grandson, Seti II. As the dig continues, the archaeologists are hoping to uncover more of the statue for restoration.
The head and torso will be displayed at the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2018.
For more information on the statue, visit:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/10/africa/ramses-ii-ozymandias-statue-cairo/index.html