They found some Khamun ground.
Archaeologists have discovered a 3,400-year-old town that was possibly erected by King Tutankhamun’s father, Akhenaten — and harbored a wine jug stamped with the name of Nefertiti’s daughter, among other eye-opening artifacts.
The findings, which were published in the journal “Antiquity,” could reshape our understanding of Egyptian civilization.
“The quality of the remains (pictured), their planned organization around a street, could suggest a fairly large-scale occupation,” study author Sylvain Dhennin, an archaeologist with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), told Live Science. Cambridge CoreThis settlement, which was first excavated in 2013, is situated at the Kom el-Nugus repository, some 27 miles west of Alexandria on a rocky ridge between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Mariout, Live Science reported.
Initially thought to be uninhabited until occupation by the Greeks in 332 BC, a surprise discovery of mud brick was dated back to the New Kingdom dynasty (circa 1550 to 1070 B.C.), making this the oldest Egyptian settlement north of Lake Mariout
And this was no small outpost, either.
“The quality of the remains, their planned organization around a street, could suggest a fairly large-scale occupation,” study author Sylvain Dhennin, an archaeologist with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), told Live Science.
This citadel harbored a veritable treasure trove of impressive artifacts and structures.
Block depicting Ra-Horakhty from the temple of King Ramses II. Cambridge Core
A sarcophagus that contained the mummified liver of King Tutankhamun, Egypt’s most iconic pharaoh. Getty ImagesAmong the most notable were remnants of a temple that was built by Egyptian pharaoh King Ramses II — who ruled between 1279-1213 BC — as well as “private funerary chapels” that mention “military personnel,” indicating that the town could’ve been a fortified position, according to Dhennin.
“If the settlement was indeed military in nature, it’s possible that there was also a fortified wall and administrative buildings,” she noted. “The monumental building was almost entirely dismantled, probably in successive waves from the Imperial period (30 BC–AD 476) onwards.”
A statue of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten (also known as Amenhotep IV) at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt. AFP via Getty ImagesMeanwhile, the central street was impressively sloped to drain surface water and protect the fragile mud-brick structures from erosion, according to UK Egyptologist Roger Forshaw, who was not involved in the research.
Perhaps the most unique find was an amphora — a distinct vessel with a skinny neck and two handles — emblazoned with the name of Meritaten, who was believed to be the sister or half-sister of Tutankhamun and the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, according to the report authors.
Dhennin speculated that there may have been a winery on site dedicated to the princess, perhaps proving that celebrity endorsements were alive and well in antiquity.
“Discovery of well-preserved levels and structures is bringing new dimensions to this New Kingdom settlement,” said the archaeologist.
Dhennin hopes that the ongoing excavations at Kom el-Nugus will reveal the size and age of the settlement, as well as what it was called in ancient times.
“Further work is needed to shed light on the New Kingdom history of the Mediterranean coast,” she said.
Interestingly, the stronghold’s founder Akhenaten is often viewed as a disruptor, notably breaking from the civilization’s polytheistic tradition in favor of solely worshipping the sun god Aten — the pharaoh’s name notably means “beneficial to Aten.”
When his son Tutankhamun became pharaoh, he famously reversed course and brought Egypt back to its multiple god-fearing roots.
