Exciting Discoveries at Luxor's Ramesseum Reveal Ancient Secrets

Egypt Today

06-04-2025

A joint Egyptian-French archaeological mission — including the Department of Conservation and Documentation at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the French National Centre for Scientific Research, and Sorbonne University — has unearthed remarkable finds around the Ramesseum Temple on Luxor's West Bank.
The team discovered a collection of tombs from the Third Intermediate Period, storage facilities for olive oil, honey, and fats, as well as workshops for textile production and stonework, alongside ancient kitchens and bakeries.
Inside the temple itself, excavations revealed the 'House of Life' — an ancient scholarly institution attached to major temples. This exceptional discovery not only exposed the architectural layout of the school but also unearthed artifacts such as school exercises and drawings, marking the first concrete evidence of an educational center within the Ramesseum, also known as the 'Temple of Millions of Years.'
Further excavations in the eastern part of the temple uncovered a series of buildings believed to have served as administrative offices, while structures in the northern section were identified as storerooms for olive oil, honey, fats, and wine — evidenced by the abundance of wine jar labels found on site.
In the northeastern area, archaeologists uncovered numerous well-preserved tombs from the Third Intermediate Period, complete with burial chambers, canopic jars, funerary artifacts, nested coffins, and an impressive collection of 401 pottery ushabti figurines, along with scattered human remains.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Mr. Sherif Fathy, praised the mission's efforts, highlighting how these discoveries are shedding new light on the Ramesseum's historical, religious, and societal roles in ancient Egypt.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the importance of these findings, noting that they reveal the temple's complex history and expand our understanding of its functions during the New Kingdom, particularly in the Ramesside era. He explained that the temple operated as a royal institution, performing religious rituals for the deified king while also serving as an administrative and economic hub.
He further noted evidence of a full administrative hierarchy operating within the temple, which functioned not only as a place of worship but also as a center for distributing goods produced or stored on-site — benefiting local communities, including the artisans of Deir el-Medina, who worked under the royal administration.
Scientific studies also confirmed that the Ramesseum site was in use before Ramesses II constructed his temple and continued to be reused in later periods. After suffering looting, it was transformed into a large priestly necropolis and later repurposed by quarry workers during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras.
Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Head of the Conservation and Documentation Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities and head of the mission's Egyptian team, shared that the mission successfully re-excavated the tomb of 'Sahteb Iab Ra' in the northwestern sector of the temple. Originally discovered by British archaeologist Quibell in 1896, this Middle Kingdom tomb features stunning funerary scenes.
He added that excavation and restoration efforts are ongoing, aiming to uncover even more treasures. Recently, the team completed the restoration of the temple's southern section, from the Hypostyle Hall to the Sanctuary, and restored the first courtyard, where they reassembled the statue of Queen Tuya, mother of Ramesses II, placing it back at its original site beside the king's statue. They also reconstructed and restored the fragmented statue of Ramesses II, carefully repositioning the legs and restoring the base, while studying the overall condition of the monument.
Dr. Christian Leblanc, head of the French team, noted that restoration work has also brought new clarity to the layout of the royal palace adjacent to the temple's first courtyard. Though only a few column bases remain, the team managed to trace the original mudbrick walls, revealing spaces like the reception hall and throne room, where the king once held audiences.
At the Second Pylon Gate, the team discovered part of the granite lintel depicting Ramesses II in divine form before Amun-Ra, alongside fragments of cornices that originally supported a frieze of baboons.
Excavations along the processional route also yielded significant finds from the Third Intermediate Period, revealing that this part of the temple was once lined with statues of Anubis reclining atop small shrines. The team successfully collected and restored many fragments of these statues.
Notably, the Egyptian-French mission has been working at the Ramesseum for an impressive 34 years, since 1991, conducting extensive excavations and restoration works across the entire temple complex.