The artifacts uncovered belong to the time when the Aswan city was destroyed by an enormous flood.
About 4,500 years ago, Aswan was an enchanting city flourishing with trade and acting as a military garrison. Merchants traded in gold, wood, and spices, and its abundant quarries supplied bulk granite that now appears in its picturesque temples, obelisks, and pyramids. Known as the southernmost city of Egypt, Aswan is located at the first cataract of the Nile River and carries a fascinating history, especially of the time before it flooded. Recently, during a diving expedition, some French and Egyptian archaeologists discovered a stunning collection of ancient Egyptian artworks and carvings under the waters of the Nile in Aswan, the Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities in Egypt reported in a Facebook post.
According to Live Science, this particular area of Aswan was flooded when the Aswan High Dam was built between 1960 and 1970. The collection of artifacts discovered features rock carvings with depictions of several ancient Egyptian pharaohs, plus, hieroglyphic inscriptions. This discovery was part of the French-Egyptian Archaeological Mission, jointly between the Supreme Council of Archaeology, represented in the Department of the Archaeology, and the Paul Valéry University Montpellier, as per the ministry’s post.
The goal of this mission was to study the rock formations between the Aswan Reservoir and the High Dam. Led by Dr. Chris Crassion from the French side, the team uncovered several paintings, carvings, and miniatures of the kings of Amenhotep III, Thutmose IV and Psamtik II. The ministry also revealed that the sculptures are in perfectly good condition.
The team conducted the mission using all modern techniques of diving, archaeological scanning, photography, underwater video, photogrammetry, and archaeological drawing to identify and document the rock carvings on the surface of the Conossus rocks either underwater or partially submerged in the waters of the Nile. They added that the mission is currently working on producing 3D models of the discovered carvings and studying them. They said that this survey opens up new possibilities for discovering more carvings and historical details about ancient Egypt.
According to Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, Amenhotep III ruled Egypt for nearly four decades, until his death around 1352 BCE at the age of 48. When he became pharaoh, he inherited a wealthy, powerful state, in part due to the military success of his grandfather, Tuthmosis III. He was entombed inside the limestone hills of the Theban Necropolis, a cemetery on the banks of the Nile River, opposite modern-day Luxor. Unfortunately, Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple was almost ruined by Aswan’s flooding. Yet, this latest discovery has ignited a hope that the ancient treasures can be recovered.
These rock carvings aren’t the only interesting treasures ever discovered near Aswan. In early 2024, the country’s tourism ministry announced the discovery of 33 tombs on a hillside, which unfolded several exciting points about ancient Egyptians’ burial customs and social hierarchies.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on August 4, 2024. It has since been updated.
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