Ramesses II inscription may point to Egypt’s lost city of Mesn

Archaeologists excavating Tell Abu Saifi have uncovered a sandstone lintel bearing the name of Ramesses II and referring to the mysterious ancient city of Mesn, along with the remains of a temple that was later dismantled and reused during the Roman period.

Archaeologists working in Egypt’s northern Sinai have uncovered an inscription bearing the name and titles of Pharaoh Ramesses II that could provide important new evidence for the location of the long-lost ancient city of Mesn.

– Advertisement –

The discovery was made at Tell Abu Saifi, an archaeological site in Qantara East in Ismailia Governorate, during ongoing excavations associated with the ancient military route known as the Way of Horus, which connected Egypt with Sinai and the lands of ancient Canaan.

According to Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the team discovered a large sandstone lintel, broken into two pieces and bearing inscriptions on three sides.

The inscriptions include royal titles belonging to Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great, who ruled Egypt during the 19th Dynasty in the 13th century BC.

However, another inscription on the lintel has attracted particular attention from archaeologists because it refers to restoration work on a statue of a deity identified as “Horus, Lord of the City of Mesn.”

– Advertisement –

The reference raises the possibility that Tell Abu Saifi could be connected with Mesn, an ancient settlement whose precise location has remained uncertain.

Dr Hisham Hussein, head of the Central Administration for Lower Egypt and Sinai and director of the archaeological mission, described the inscription as highly significant evidence in efforts to establish the historical identity of the site.

Archaeologists are not yet treating the discovery as definitive proof that Tell Abu Saifi is Mesn, however.

Dr Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said further excavation and research would be required before researchers could conclusively establish the connection.

Temple Remains Reveal Centuries of Change

The inscription was not the mission’s only major discovery.

Archaeologists also uncovered substantial remains of an ancient temple, including a massive mudbrick enclosure wall, gateways, internal chambers, storerooms, service areas and what has been identified as the temple’s sanctuary.

Evidence uncovered during the excavation suggests that the complex underwent several phases of construction, reconstruction and reuse.

Researchers believe the temple reached its greatest extent during Egypt’s Ptolemaic period, between the fourth and first centuries BC.

Its function changed significantly after Egypt came under Roman rule. Parts of the complex were subsequently reused during the construction of a Roman military camp, or castrum, around the third century AD.

Evidence also indicates that the temple suffered extensive destruction as the Romans quarried its building materials.

Two large circular kilns were constructed over the corners of the former sanctuary. Traces of burnt limestone found inside the structures suggest that the area was later converted into a centre for lime production during the Late Roman period.

The findings offer a striking picture of how a religious complex was progressively transformed into a military and industrial site.

Ancient Roads and Military Artefacts Discovered

The mission also uncovered two successive stone-paved roads connecting the area outside the fortifications with the temple complex.

The roads have been dated to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, providing further evidence of the site’s long-term strategic importance.

Mahmoud Galal, director of the General Administration of Sinai Antiquities and a director of the mission, said archaeologists had also recovered a collection of objects associated with military and administrative activity.

Among the discoveries was a schist statue dating to Egypt’s 26th Dynasty and depicting an army scribe carrying a damaged shrine.

Other finds included a headless and footless statue from the Late Period, the torso of a royal statue carved from basalt and fragments of falcon statues made from basalt and limestone.

Together, the discoveries suggest that Tell Abu Saifi played an important role long before the Roman occupation and could have served religious, administrative and military functions over many centuries.

Key Site on Egypt’s Eastern Frontier

Tell Abu Saifi occupies a strategically important position near Egypt’s eastern frontier and the ancient route known as the Way of Horus.

The fortified road linked the Nile Delta with northern Sinai and onwards towards ancient Canaan, forming a critical corridor for Egyptian armies, officials, traders and travellers.

Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy said the discoveries highlighted the strategic and cultural importance of the region in protecting Egypt’s eastern borders throughout its history.

Continued excavation of sites associated with the Way of Horus, he said, is helping archaeologists reconstruct the route, identify its stations and develop a more detailed picture of Egypt’s military presence along its eastern frontier.

The newly discovered reference to Mesn could now add another piece to that historical puzzle.

While archaeologists have yet to confirm that Tell Abu Saifi and the lost city are one and the same, further discoveries at the site could ultimately help establish the location of Mesn and clarify its place in Egypt’s ancient eastern defence network.

Sources : JPost

– Advertisement –