Farmer unearths remains of pharaoh’s colossal statues in Egypt
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Khaled al-Shahat Khalil, a farmer in Bahbit al-Higara, Egypt, discovered a pink stone block with hieroglyphs while working his land.
Archaeologists investigated and uncovered fragments of two large statues likely depicting Pharaoh Ramesses II, who ruled Egypt from approximately 1279 to 1213 BC. One statue’s head measures about 1.6 meters tall and features a double crown symbolizing rule over Upper and Lower Egypt.
The team also found parts of a second statue, around 2.4 meters long, with facial features resembling those on the first. While the second statue may also depict Ramesses II, archaeologists are still working to confirm its identity and understand the relationship between the two sculptures.
Hieroglyphic inscriptions on the pink stone block identify the figure as “king of Upper and Lower Egypt” and “son of the god Ra.” Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Sharif Fathi, praised the farmer for reporting the find. As a reward, authorities arranged a trip for al-Shahat and his wife to Mecca for the Umrah pilgrimage.
Archaeological research at the site will continue, with scientists hoping to uncover more fragments to better understand the statues' history and context within the region, which is already known for remains of a temple dedicated to the goddess Isis.
