Subscribe now for full access and no adverts
The intact burial of a male horse dating to the New Kingdom has been uncovered by an Egyptian team at Tell el-Abqain in Beheira, within a military fortress on Egypt’s western borders. The burial was associated with a large residential complex with grain silos, storage buildings, and ovens. Finds made at the site include jewellery; scarabs and amulets inscribed for Sety I and Ramesses II; figures of various deities; tools; loom weights and grinding stones; pottery vessels for storing food, perfume, and oils; and a flask associated with pilgrimages to Abydos. These discoveries suggest that the fortress was a fully integrated community of soldiers and civilians, rather than merely a military installation. The team also uncovered two royal stelae: one inscribed for Ramesses II, with a depiction of a Libyan captive; and a fragment with hieratic script attributed to Merenptah.
Text: Sarah Griffiths / Image: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
