Egypt’s lost golden city
Desert discovery could be most important since King Tut’s tomb
GENERATIONS have gazed in wonder on the treasures of ancient Egypt.
Now tourists have another attraction to add to their list – a ‘lost golden city’ which has been uncovered in the desert after 3,000 years.
The discovery, believed to be the largest ancient city found in Egypt, has been hailed as one of the most important finds since Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.
Experts have described the site as ‘ancient Egypt’s Pompeii’ due to how well it has been preserved.
The city, known as Aten after the ancient Egyptian sun god, was uncovered near the city of Luxor – 300 miles south of Cairo. It dates to the reign of King Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun’s grandfather, who ruled for four decades until his death around 1354 BC. His reign was known for its opulence and grandiose monuments.
Archaeologists discovered the site last September when in search of a mortuary temple.
They originally came across mud brick formations but further digs uncovered several neighbourhoods. They also found a bakery complete with ovens and the remains of houses, some of which had walls up to 12ft high. Jewellery has also been unearthed, along with coloured pottery, scarab beetle amulets and mud bricks bearing seals of Amenhotep III. Other items include tools used as part of industrial activity, such as spinning or weaving, and a vessel which would have contained around 22lb (10kg) of dried or boiled meat.
The discovery was announced yesterday by famed Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, who said many foreign missions had searched for the city but never found it. In a statement, the excavation team said: ‘The Egyptian mission under Dr Hawass found the city that was lost under the sands.
‘The city is 3,000 years old, dates to the reign of Amenhotep III, and continued to be used by Tutankhamun and Ay.’
It added: ‘The archaeological layers have laid untouched for thousands of years, left by the ancient residents as if it were yesterday.’ Betsy Bryan, a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said that the excavation ‘ will give us a rare glimpse into the life of the ancient Egyptians at the time where the empire was at his wealthiest’.
The team added that they expect to uncover ‘untouched tombs filled with treasures’ as they continue to work on the site.
DR MICHAEL MOSLEY IS AWAY