Two ancient sandstone tablets decorated with elaborate inscriptions depicting Egyptian deities and Pharaohs have been revealed by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, after being discovered by archaeological crews working to lower groundwater at the 2,300-year-old Kom Ombo temple in Aswan.
The first sandstone carving measures 2.3 meters long (7.5 feet), 1 meter wide (3.3 feet), and 30 centimeters (12 inches) deep, the Ministry described in a statement. The slab was broken into two parts but was found otherwise well-preserved. Inscriptions on the slab show King Seti I, a 19th-century respected pharaoh, standing near the falcon-headed god Horus and the crocodile god Sobek. Above them is a winged Sun known to serve as a symbol of protection. Below the trio are 26 lines written in hieroglyphs, some of which mention the name of King Horembheb multiple times.
Seti I was the son of Ramses I. Though his father’s reign lasted just two years, Seti ruled over ancient Egypt from 1290 to 1279 BCE, and it was really he who founded the Ramses dynasty, made more famous by his son Ramses II. His rule was incredibly successful. Having battled and retaken the frontiers of his kingdom after the previous dynasty lost them, and then negotiated peace, he is well known for his work fortifying the boundaries of Egypt, opening mines and quarries, digging wells, rebuilding dilapidated temples, and constructing great memorials, such as a great hypostyle hall dedicated to six deities including Osiris. Today, Seti’s tomb is one of the most glorious in the Valley of the Kings.
The second slab is larger, measuring just over 3 meters long and 1 meter wide. It was found broken and in worse condition, but historians have been able to piece the fragments together. This slab was dedicated to the Macedonian King Ptolemy, who reigned from 221 to 205 BCE following Alexander the Great. He is known through history as a drunk who didn’t garner much respect during his rule, but nevertheless, the tablet shows him next to his wife, Horus, and several other Egyptian deities in a scene showing the king standing and holding a stick. In front of him are three temples and above them the winged Sun. Below the image are 28 lines written in hieroglyphs.
Last month, archaeologists also found a sphinx while draining water from the Kom Ombo temple grounds dating to the Ptolemaic era, and a sarcophagus containing a linen-wrapped mummy nearby. Ancient Egypt isn't done giving up its secrets yet.
[H/T: Egypt Today]
