2,000 mummified rams’ heads discovered in the temple of Ramses II

More than 2,000 mummified rams’ heads dating from the Ptolemaic era have been discovered in the temple of Ramses II, authorities announced on Sunday March 26. Mummies of sheep, dogs, goats, cows, gazelles and mongooses have also been unearthed by a team of American archaeologists from New York University at this famous site of Abydos, in southern Italy. Egypt, the Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism said in a statement.

The trail of offerings

For Professor Sameh Iskandar, head of the American mission and quoted in the same press release, these ram heads are “offerings”indicating “a cult to Ramesses II celebrated 1,000 years after his death”. According to the director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, these discoveries will make it possible to know more about the temple of Ramses II and the activities that took place there between its construction under the sixth dynasty of the Old Kingdom (between 2 374 and 2140 BC) and the Ptolemaic period (323 to 30 BC).

Besides the remains of mummified animals, the team discovered the remains of a palace with walls about five meters thick dating from the Sixth Dynasty, as well as several statues, papyri, remains of ancient trees, leather clothes and shoes.