During a diving expedition in the Nile River, archaeologists in Egypt made a significant discovery: rock carvings featuring depictions of several ancient Egyptian pharaohs, along with hieroglyphic inscriptions. A joint French-Egyptian team located these carvings underwater south of Aswan, in an area that was submerged when the Aswan High Dam was constructed between 1960 and 1970.
Prior to the flooding, UNESCO orchestrated a massive effort to record and relocate as many archaeological remains as possible from the area. However, many artifacts could not be moved in time and were inevitably submerged by the construction project. Aswan held historical significance for Egypt, as it was once situated near the country’s southern border. Additionally, several important temples are located nearby, including the Temple of Abu Simbel, renowned for its four colossal statues of Ramesses II (lived 1303 to 1213 B.C.), each measuring approximately 69 feet (21 meters) tall.
Aswan is also home to the Philae temple complex, where the last Egyptian hieroglyphic inscription was etched in A.D. 394. The team’s current endeavor aims to meticulously identify and record any surviving inscriptions and carvings now submerged beneath the water’s surface, as stated by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in a translated press release.
To achieve this goal, team members are meticulously diving down to the submerged remains and meticulously documenting them using a combination of photography, video, and photogrammetry. Photogrammetry is a sophisticated technique that involves capturing numerous photographs of an object, which can later be used to generate a detailed 3D digital model.
Among the recently discovered depictions of pharaohs are those of Amenhotep III (reigned circa 1390 to 1352 B.C.), Thutmose IV (reigned circa 1400 to 1390 B.C.), Psamtik II (reigned circa 595 to 589 B.C.), and Apries (reigned circa 589 to 570 B.C.). These rulers hailed from the 18th and 26th dynasties, according to ministry officials.
While the statement offered limited information about the content of the inscriptions or the specific appearance of the carvings, it emphasized their excellent state of preservation. The team’s ongoing work promises to unearth even more remains as their exploration continues.
Live Science reached out to several scientists not involved in the research to gather their perspectives on these intriguing carvings. Dr. [Name withheld], a classics and religious studies professor at the University of Ottawa, expressed interest in the finds but stressed the need for further information to determine their significance.
Dr. [Name withheld], a lecturer in the School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Essex in the U.K., highlighted the discovery’s implications. It suggests that more remains survived the flooding than UNESCO initially estimated during their salvage campaign in the 1960s and 1970s.
Dr. [Name withheld], an archaeologist who leads excavations at a necropolis near Aswan and a professor of Egyptology and Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Jaen in Spain, provided further insight. He explained that Aswan was a prominent quarry site for granite, and the newly found remains may have been intended for transport to another part of Egypt. Alternatively, they could have been integral components of temples near Aswan.
Live Science also attempted to contact archaeologists directly involved in the research, but they did not respond by the time of publication.
