The famous Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass announced Thursday that his team of archaeologists has discovered what he describes as “the lost golden city” in Luxor.
According to Hawass, the city, known as Athens, is the largest ancient city discovered in Egypt. It must be 3000 years old.
“Many missions have searched the city without finding it,” Hawass said in a statement.
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The excavations started in September last year, near the Valley of the Kings west of Luxor. After only a few weeks, the team discovered formations of claystones that spread in all directions.
Further excavation revealed a large number of buildings – still in good condition – and with rooms filled with objects.
– The archeological layers have been untouched for several thousand years, abandoned by the inhabitants as if it were yesterday, Hawass writes.
– Most important in a hundred years
Betsy Brian, professor of Egyptology at Johns Hopkins University, is quoted in the announcement as considering the discovery to be the most important since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.
For years, mysticism has been associated with Tutankhamun’s father, Akhenaten, and his controversial choices and governance.
When he took over as king, he changed his own name, left the ancient Egyptian capital Thebes, and tried to replace the Egyptian god world with one god: the sun god Athens.
After leaving Thebes, Akhenaten founded a city named after itself, which for a short time became the capital of Egypt. There he ruled with Queen Nefertiti until his death.
Why Akhenaten left Thebes is still an unanswered question, which one hopes to be able to answer after further investigations of the newly discovered city.
– The discovery will not only give us a rare insight into the lives of the ancient Egyptians at a time when the Egyptian empire was at its most prosperous. It will also help us shed light on one of the greatest mysteries in history: Why Akhenaten and Nefertiti decided to move, says Professor Betsy Brian.
The tomb hides a great secret
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The excavations have also led to the discovery of ancient skeletons and objects such as jewelery, ceramics, amulets and a number of tools that archaeologists believe were used for spinning and weaving, as well as the production of glass and metal.
A human skeleton, apparently buried in a “remarkable” way, is among the things being investigated further.
According to Hawass, several of the objects they have found confirm that the city was active during the period when Akhenaten, ruled with his father, Amenhotep 3.
The excavations are almost complete, and the renowned archaeologist says that more discoveries are expected in the future. He believes the findings will contribute to a deeper knowledge of Egyptian history 3,500 years back in time.
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