Latest news with #PtolemaicPeriod
New York Post
2 days ago
- Science
- New York Post
Archaeologists uncover multistory buildings in once-thriving city lost to time
Archaeologists recently uncovered multistory buildings from a lost Egyptian city in the Nile Delta, fostering new insights into urban life in antiquity. The ruins of the city – known in ancient times as Imet or Buto – are located at the site now called Tell el-Fara'in. The University of Manchester announced the discovery in a June 24 press release. Multiple excavations have taken place at the site in past decades, but the latest dig by British archaeologists revealed the presence of multiple multistory structures. 6 British archaeologists from the University of Manchester discover ancient city of Imet in Egypt's eastern Nile Delta, shedding lights on urban life in antiquity De Agostini via Getty Images The elevated dwellings were found thanks to a combination of remote sensing and satellite imagery technology, said the University of Manchester. The British archaeologists were joined by experts from the University of Sadat City in Cairo. The high-tech methods led researchers to notice clusters of 'ancient mudbricks' before the excavation began. The university reported, 'This approach led to the discovery of dense architectural remains, including substantial tower houses – multistory buildings supported by exceptionally thick foundation walls, which were designed to accommodate a growing population in an increasingly urbanized Delta region.' University of Manchester lecturer Nicky Nielsen helped lead the excavation. 6 A statue depicting two deities, discovered from the archaeological excavations in Buto De Agostini via Getty Images In a statement, he dated the structures to the Ptolemaic Period, which began around 332 B.C. and ended in 30 B.C. 'These tower houses are mainly found in the Nile Delta between the Late Period and the Roman era, and are rare elsewhere in Egypt,' the Egyptologist said. 'Their presence here shows that Imet was a thriving and densely built city with a complex urban infrastructure.' Archaeologists also uncovered the remains of granaries, or buildings for storing grain, as well as a ceremonial road tied to the cult of Wadjet, the Ancient Egyptian cobra goddess. 6 The excavations at Tell el-Fara'in are part of a joint Egyptian-British mission with the University of Sadat City in Cairo University of Manchester Animal enclosures were also observed during the excavation, as well as a series of additional buildings. 'Elsewhere, excavators found a large building with a limestone plaster floor and massive pillars dating to the mid-Ptolemaic Period,' the University of Manchester noted. 'This building was built across the processional road, which once connected to the temple of Wadjet – the city's patron deity,' the statement continued. 6 Multiple excavations have taken place at the site in past decades, but this latest dig by the University of Manchester crew revealed the presence of multiple multistory structures University of Manchester 'This ceremonial route appears to have fallen out of use by the mid-Ptolemaic period, offering insight into shifting religious landscapes in Ancient Egypt.' Smaller artifacts were also uncovered by archaeologists. 6 'Their presence here shows that Imet was a thriving and densely built city with a complex urban infrastructure,' said University of Manchester lecturer Nicky Nielsen, who helped lead the excavations University of Manchester Pictures from the excavation show an ushabti (a small funerary figurine), a stone slab depicting the god Harpocrates and a bronze sistrum, or rattle, of Hathor, the goddess of music and joy. The excavation will help advance understanding of 'the urban, religious and economic life of this city in the Nile Delta during the 4th century BC,' according to university officials. 6 Artifacts from the excavation site reflect a vibrant spiritual culture of the ancient Egyptian city University of Manchester 'This discovery opens new doors to our understanding of daily life, spirituality and urban planning in the Delta,' the statement concluded. 'Imet is emerging as a key site for rethinking the archaeology of Late Period Egypt.' Ancient Egypt has captivated archaeologists for centuries, and many finds from the millennia-old civilization are still being discovered today. In May, several tombs of high-ranking Ancient Egyptian officials were recently uncovered by local archaeologists, dating back to the era of the New Kingdom. A month earlier, a University of Pennsylvania professor spoke with Fox News Digital about unearthing the tomb of an unknown pharaoh near Abydos.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Discovered a 3,000-Year-Old Egyptian Gold Mine—and Another World Around It
Recently, archaeologists unearthed a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mining camp in the Sukari Mountains. Crews found evidence of ancient gold mining, processing, and purification. The archaeological discovery has been moved and used to recreate the camp nearly two miles away. The gold buried in the hills of Egypt's Sukari Mountains was, apparently, enticing enough to create an entire gold-mining camp 3,000 years ago. According to a translated statement from Egypt's Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities, a multi-year archaeological projected named 'Reviving the Ancient City of Gold' has revealed the ancient gold mining operation. And the project didn't stop at just finding the site. This ancient operation was so robust that an entire mining camp surfaced around it—one that, when it was found, needed to be moved nearly two miles away so as to not interfere with the modern Sukari Mine. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the remains of a 3,000-year-old gold processing complex—which included a fully equipped facility for extracting gold from quartz veins and featured grinding and crushing stations, filtration and sediment basins, and ancient clay furnaces designed for smelting gold to create a pure product—showed off the highly orchestrated nature of the mining operation. To make it all possible, gold miners eventually developed had an entire residential district on site. This space featured houses, workshops, temples, administrative buildings, and Ptolemaic Period bathhouses. Khaled said that the team identified architectural remains from both the Roman and Islamic periods. The evidence of the use of this space well after the creation of the initial encampment shows that it remained a popular option for multiple people groups. Khaled said that the find furthers our understanding of ancient Egyptians mining techniques used to extract gold from rock, while adding insight into the social, religious, and economic lives of gold miners. Some of the pieces that give a better understanding of the social component of the mine include 628 pieces of broken pottery—many inscribed with hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek script that shows off a true linguistic diversity in the region. Crews uncovered plenty more, including Ptolemaic bronze coins, terracotta figurines depicting human and animal forms from the Greco-Roman period, small stone statues of deities such as Bastet and Harpocrates (some finished and some unfinished), a mix of pottery vessels that held such personal items like medicines and incense, an assortment of beads made of semi-precious stones, decorative items crafted from seashells, and five Ptolemaic offering tables. As part of the project, crews built a full-scale replica of the mining complex on a 6.3-acre-plot located nearly two miles from the active mining area. This visitor center includes exhibits and plenty of information on both the find and the life of ancient Egyptian gold miners. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Discovered a 3,000-Year-Old Egyptian Gold Mine—and Another World Around It
Recently, archaeologists unearthed a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mining camp in the Sukari Mountains. Crews found evidence of ancient gold mining, processing, and purification. The archaeological discovery has been moved and used to recreate the camp nearly two miles away. The gold buried in the hills of Egypt's Sukari Mountains was, apparently, enticing enough to create an entire gold-mining camp 3,000 years ago. According to a translated statement from Egypt's Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities, a multi-year archaeological projected named 'Reviving the Ancient City of Gold' has revealed the ancient gold mining operation. And the project didn't stop at just finding the site. This ancient operation was so robust that an entire mining camp surfaced around it—one that, when it was found, needed to be moved nearly two miles away so as to not interfere with the modern Sukari Mine. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the remains of a 3,000-year-old gold processing complex—which included a fully equipped facility for extracting gold from quartz veins and featured grinding and crushing stations, filtration and sediment basins, and ancient clay furnaces designed for smelting gold to create a pure product—showed off the highly orchestrated nature of the mining operation. To make it all possible, gold miners eventually developed had an entire residential district on site. This space featured houses, workshops, temples, administrative buildings, and Ptolemaic Period bathhouses. Khaled said that the team identified architectural remains from both the Roman and Islamic periods. The evidence of the use of this space well after the creation of the initial encampment shows that it remained a popular option for multiple people groups. Khaled said that the find furthers our understanding of ancient Egyptians mining techniques used to extract gold from rock, while adding insight into the social, religious, and economic lives of gold miners. Some of the pieces that give a better understanding of the social component of the mine include 628 pieces of broken pottery—many inscribed with hieroglyphic, demotic, and Greek script that shows off a true linguistic diversity in the region. Crews uncovered plenty more, including Ptolemaic bronze coins, terracotta figurines depicting human and animal forms from the Greco-Roman period, small stone statues of deities such as Bastet and Harpocrates (some finished and some unfinished), a mix of pottery vessels that held such personal items like medicines and incense, an assortment of beads made of semi-precious stones, decorative items crafted from seashells, and five Ptolemaic offering tables. As part of the project, crews built a full-scale replica of the mining complex on a 6.3-acre-plot located nearly two miles from the active mining area. This visitor center includes exhibits and plenty of information on both the find and the life of ancient Egyptian gold miners. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
