Have you ever been a fan of archaeology?
No? Well, that’s fine!
But if you are, you should hear about what archaeologists have recently found!
A “lost golden city” – you may have heard about it as one of the greatest discoveries of 2020. It is an old city that was buried under the sand for years and years and has since been discovered by Zahi Hawass and his team. The city dates back to the time of Amenhotep III and Tutankhamen.
Exciting News
Recently, Egypt discovered one of its oldest cities, now popularly known as the “lost golden city,” which is around 3400 years old. Archeological experts are considering it one of the most important discoveries after the “Tomb of Tutankhamen,” which was discovered in 1992.
The city is located near Luxor, and it has been under the sand for thousands of years, says one expert. The city first came into the limelight when a group of archeologists, led by Zahi Hawass, headed towards the present-day city of Luxor and uncovered this incredible ancient city in September 2020.
What is so thrilling about it?
During a press conference, Hawass said that they’d discovered many great tombs, but this one is incredible. He also said this one might give them better insight into the life of the people living in that period.
He also added that this ancient masterpiece could help them get a closer look at what living in the golden period, when Egypt ruled the world, might have been like.
The great talks and discussions about mummies have raised questions about how they died.
And this city can give us a lot of possible answers!
What’s interesting is that this city – the oldest and largest – has remained uncovered until now.
The city belongs to the period of Tutankhamen and may expose many facts of that period.
Let’s learn about what they found in their partial excavation.
The ancient artifacts collected from “the golden city” mostly include rings, colored pottery, and scarabs. “The collectibles belong to the reign of Amenhotep III, who was the ruler of Egypt for 1391–1353 B.C,” said one expert.
Hawass and his team reported that they were headed to Tutankhamen’s Mortuary Temple when they were completely surprised at finding a long, continuous wall heading forward in a zig-zag manner. The wall is around 10 feet tall and belongs to the ancient period of Egypt. Many archeologists have led searches on that side but returned empty-handed.
The large warehouses, ovens, grinding stones, large meat-production areas, and essential tools show modern-day facility in a conventional form. The city shares similarities with a contemporary working city in Egypt.
Hawass’s team also discovered a strange buried skeleton with his arms outstretched and a piece of rope around his knees. When asked by some journalists, ministry officials replied that it was indeed strange and would be investigated.
In a more thorough search, a storage vessel with 22 pounds of dried meat was found. According to experts, the meat was intended for the third HebSed festival and prepared by butcher Luwy in the stockyard slaughterhouse.
According to one archeologist, two people working and living in the city have confirmed that the city was ruled by Amenhotep III and his son Akhenaten and then by Tutankhamen.
Digging Deeper into History
The Tomb of Tutankhamen is the most important archeological discovery of its time, but this lost city holds second place, says Betsy Brain, professor at John Hopkin’s University.
The Tomb of Tutankhamen
The Tomb of Tutankhamen is Ancient Egypt’s great masterpiece and probably its most important discovery. It was discovered by the British archeologist, Howard Carter. The tomb and its discovery were so special because they helped give archeologists better insight into Egyptian history and the famous ruler. But do you know who Tutankhamen was?
Tutankhamun was the last emperor of Ancient Egypt. He ruled Egypt until the end of the 18th century, and after that, it became the new kingdom of Egypt.
According to archeologists, his tomb was full of gold jewelry, statues, model boats, paintings, canopic jars, chairs, and Tutankhamen’s mummy. It was the biggest and the most amazing discovery made by archeologists ever. When experts explored the whole tomb, they found more than 5000 collectibles.
What Do Archaeologists Envision?
There are many other tombs on the same site that have yet to be explored, and many hope that further exploration will uncover many other things of that time.
A well-known British archeologist and a fellow of the University of Liverpool, Hannah Pethen, said that the recent discovery is an outstanding opportunity to learn more about that region.
She added that the curiosity and excitement over the untouched tomb are quite high, but it would have been even more so if the tomb had been that of a pharaoh.
She also mentioned that there are numerous tombs, and they have gathered a significant amount of information about them, but they still have little or no evidence about the lifestyle of the people belonging to that age. This golden city should give more insight into their lifestyle and workplaces.
Today, archeologists are studying three sites belonging to the same period: Rameses III’s temple at MedinetHabu, the golden city, and Amenhotep III’s temple at Memnon. All of these sites belonged to the same empire.
Pethen also said that, along with the huge ancient temples and tombs, the golden city on the west bank of the Nile River will surely account for many important details of that time.
One of the biggest unsolved mysteries of that time is about King Akhenaten and his queen. There are many unanswered questions, like: Why did they abandon their kingdom and religion? And why did they worship the sun? It is possible that the discovery of this new city might play an important role in solving these mysteries.
According to Pethen, Akhenaten was known for keeping his secrets, and in the last 150 years, many archeologists have tried to solve his mysteries and haven’t been able to.
Conclusion
The “lost golden city” is one of the best discoveries of our times. It should supply a huge amount of information about Ancient Egypt and its rulers. The city is an ancient marvel with extraordinary facilities in that period. It was only just discovered and has yet to be explored deeply; as such, archeologists are devising theories about the city. In a recent exploration, they managed to collect a large number of valuables from the city. Along with the archeologists, the local people of Egypt, as well as those from other parts of the world, are quite excited to find the key to Akhenaten’s mystery. The city is now under exploration and may offer up many interesting facts in the future.
