Colossal Statue of Ramses II Dating back 3,200 Years Discovered
Egyptian and American archaeologists have made a significant discovery in southern Egypt, uncovering the upper portion of a full-body statue of Ramses II, a prominent figure from the 19th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, dating back over 3,200 years. The announcement came from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Monday.
According to Mostafa Waziri, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, archaeological examinations revealed that the newly found 3.8-meter-high limestone bust perfectly complements the lower part of a statue of Ramses II discovered in 1930 in the same area of the southern Egyptian province of Minya.
The undated photo shows the upper part of a full-body Ramses II statue discovered in Minya, Egypt. Egyptian-U.S. archeologists have discovered the upper part of a full-body Ramses II statue dating back more than 3,200 years to his rule in the 19th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on March 4, 2024. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Handout via Xinhua)
The statue portrays Ramses II adorned with a double-crowned headdress featuring a royal cobra. Additionally, hieroglyphic inscriptions on the top of the statue's pillar glorify the king and provide insights into its construction, as stated by Waziri in a report to Xinhua.
Upon assembly, the combined statue will stand at an impressive height of seven meters, as indicated in the statement released by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.