Columns of a 7th-century BC hall uncovered at Buto

Finds of religious pottery vessels and fragments of reliefs suggest the hall dates to the Saite Period.

The remains of a columned hall have been discovered by an Egyptian team excavating the Temple of Wadjet at Buto (Tell el-Fara’in – or ‘Mound of the Pharaohs’).

top The newly discovered columns at the Temple of Wadjet at Buto (Tell el-Fara’in). above right A depiction of a bird-headed god wearing a feathered headdress that might represent the goddess Nekhbet.
The newly discovered columns at the Temple of Wadjet at Buto (Tell el-Fara’in).

The remains of three columns were found at the south-western end of the temple, which was dedicated to the goddess of Lower Egypt.

Finds of religious pottery vessels and fragments of reliefs suggest the hall dates to the Saite Period.

A depiction of a bird-headed god wearing a feathered headdress that might represent the goddess Nekhbet.

The team also uncovered a limestone block with the depiction of a bird-headed deity wearing a feathered crown, which may represent the goddess Nekhbet, the goddess of Upper Egypt, and a small stone cabin with offering vessels which may have housed small statues dedicated to the temple.

All images: copyright of the Ministry for Tourism and Antiquities