Golden artifacts — found in broken pot — discovered at famed Egyptian temple. See them
Once the “largest and most important religious complex” in the region, the Karnak temple complex in Luxor, Egypt, took more than 1,000 years to complete, experts say.
Dozens of pharaohs left their mark on the site, which was built between the 12th and 20th dynasties, and researchers are still working to understand its historical significance thousands of years later.
Now, archaeologists are working to turn the complex into an open-air museum, leading to new discoveries.
While working in the northwestern sector of the temple complex, a joint French-Egyptian archaeological team found pottery dating to the 26th dynasty, or between 664 and 525 B.C., according to a Feb. 28 Facebook post from the Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Among the pottery was a broken pot and gold items glinting from within, the ministry said.
Gold and metal rings, gold-plated beads and statuettes were found inside, officials said, including a three-piece of gods Amun, Mut and Khonsu. There were other pieces showing gods in animal forms as well as a metal brooch.
Amun was the Egyptian god of the sun and air, and was one of the most important gods in ancient Egypt. Mut was Amun’s wife, or great mother, and is often pictured with the head of a vulture, holding the sign of life and with a feather representing truth at her feet. Khonsu was their son, and often depicted as a mummified man.
Together, the three gods made the divine triad at Thebes, and the temple for Amun is a central part of the Karnak complex.
All parts of the pot were found broken, but in good condition, as are the items hidden inside, officials said.
French officials said huge mud buildings, also from the 26th dynasty, were found during the same project, and were likely used as workshops or stores in the temple complex, according to the post.
The 26th dynasty of ancient Egypt, called the Late Period or Saite Period, was marked by 130 years of control by a single powerful family, according to the MET Museum.
The rulers were less concerned with international power and more focused on their national status back home, according to the museum, dedicating time and money to stone monuments and statuary as their artistic expression.
The Karnak temple complex is in Luxor, in east-central Egypt along the Nile River.
Facebook Translate was used to translate the Facebook post from the Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
