Two medium-sized jars full of gold scarabs and statuettes featuring different ancient Egyptian deities were unearthed recently near the southern city of Sohag, reports Nevine El-Aref. At the royal necropolis of the first and second dynasties in the Um-Aleqab area at Abydos, a German Archaeological Institute for Oriental Studies mission discovered two jars full of ancient Egyptian treasure. Each jar measures 40cm and was found buried in the sand on the southeastern side of King Den's tomb.
Gold shields were found inside the jars, as was a well preserved bronze statue of a squatting monkey. The monkey wears the sacred sun-disk and rests his hand on a relief bearing a hieroglyphic text. "Due to its size and its archaeological features, this statuette was perhaps used as a scarab or a sealing," said Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). He added that a 5cm tall bronze statue of the god Osiris wearing the royal crown was also found inside one of the jars.
Sabri Abdel-Aziz, head of the ancient Egypt department at the SCA, also said that a collection of fiance and lapis lazuli scarabs inlaid with gold and silver were also discovered.
Two medium-sized jars full of gold scarabs and statuettes featuring different ancient Egyptian deities were unearthed recently near the southern city of Sohag, reports Nevine El-Aref. At the royal necropolis of the first and second dynasties in the Um-Aleqab area at Abydos, a German Archaeological Institute for Oriental Studies mission discovered two jars full of ancient Egyptian treasure. Each jar measures 40cm and was found buried in the sand on the southeastern side of King Den's tomb.
