Huge head of pharaoh unearthed in Egypt
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Huge head of pharaoh unearthed in Egypt
Back to Egypt...
A colossal red granite head of one of Egypt's most famous pharaohs has been unearthed in the southern city of Luxor, officials said.
The 3,000-year-old head of Amenhotep III - grandfather of Tutankhamun - was dug out of the ruins of the pharaoh's mortuary temple.
Experts say it is the best preserved example of the king's face ever found.
The 2.5m (8ft) head is part of a larger statue, most of which was found several years ago.
Antiquities officials say the statue is to be reconstructed.
"Other statues have always had something broken - the tip of the nose, or the face is eroded," said Dr Hourig Sourouzian, who has led the Egyptian-European expedition at the site.
"But here, from the top of the crown to the chin, it is so beautifully carved and polished, nothing is broken."
Vast empire
Egypt's antiquities chief, Zahi Hawass, described it as "a masterpiece of highly artistic quality".
Amenhotep III ruled Egypt from about 1387 to 1348 BC and presided over a vast empire stretching from Nubia in the south to Syria in the north.
Scientists using DNA tests and CT scans on several mummies have identified him as the grandfather of Tutankhamun - the boy-king born of an incestuous marriage between Akhenaten and his sister, both the offspring of Amenhotep III.
The massive mortuary temple in Luxor was largely destroyed, possibly by floods, and little remains of its walls.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8542337.stm
Re: Huge head of pharaoh unearthed in Egypt
Will be even more amazing if they do manage to put it back together.
Re: Huge head of pharaoh unearthed in Egypt
Makes ya wonder what other kind of sh!t they're gonna find in the future.
TexasBlue
Re: Huge head of pharaoh unearthed in Egypt
It is in the deep desert that the most interesting finds are awaiting in Egypt. They know where most of the places are but so many have only had limited exploration because a lot of the focus is on the well-known temples in order to keep tourist money flowing in. I was in Egypt in 1999 and 2001 and was surprised to see how much work had been done on Karnak. I'd love to go back again someday and see how far it has come in that time.
Re: Huge head of pharaoh unearthed in Egypt
Makes me wanna grab a shovel, a paint brush and some ropes and start digging in the middle of the desert.... XD
BubbleBliss
Re: Huge head of pharaoh unearthed in Egypt
You're going to need a lot of it, even in March in Egypt.TexasBlue wrote:We'll send ya some bottled water.
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