(Cairo) Archaeologists have unearthed a statue resembling the legendary Sphinx of Giza and the ruins of a shrine at the site of an ancient temple in southern Egypt, officials said on Monday.
The artifacts were found in the Dendera temple in Oena province, 450 kilometers south of Cairo, the antiquities ministry said in a statement.
Archaeologists believe the statue’s smiling face is possibly that of Roman Emperor Claudius, who extended Roman rule to North Africa between 41 and 54 CE, according to the ministry.
A stone tablet found at the same location, and dating from Roman times, will be further examined, as it may contain details about the identity of the statue and the time.
The new statue is much smaller than the Sphinx, which is 20 meters tall and sits near the Giza pyramids.
The limestone sanctuary includes a two-storey platform and a basin made of mud bricks dating from the Byzantine era.
The Egyptian authorities usually promote such discoveries to stimulate the country’s tourist industry, which has been damaged by the pandemic and which represents a key source of foreign currency for this disadvantaged country.