Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered the remains of two colossal statues believed to depict Ramses II after a local landowner reported finding an inscribed stone block in the village of Behbeit El-Hagar.
The discoveries were made by an archaeological mission from Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). According to Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the SCA, the first find was a stone head more than five-feet-high from a massive statue. It depicts a man wearing a double crown, a symbol of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt worn by ancient Egyptian rulers.
Nearby, archaeologists found part of the statue’s back pillar. An inscription on the pillar gives one of Ramses II’s five royal titles, “Hor-Ka-Nakht-Mery-Maat” (The Strong Bull, Beloved of Ma’at), identifying him as the sculpture’s subject.
The second find consists of part of a statue of a royal personage along with its head, which was adorned with the striped cloth associated with ancient Egyptian rulers. Not including the head, the surviving section of the figure, which is missing its legs and base, measures almost eight feet high. Based on the similarity of this statue’s face to that of the first, researchers believe it may also represent Ramses II, though the identification has not been confirmed.
The archaeological mission also found a pink granite block about four feet long not far from the statues. It bears traces of hieroglyphic inscriptions that include two more titles of Ramses II: “Nesu-Bity” (King of Upper and Lower Egypt) and “Sa-Ra” (Son of Ra).
Ramses II, known to historians as Ramses the Great, was the third king of ancient Egypt’s 19th Dynasty (1292–1191 BCE). He presided over the final peak of Egypt’s imperial power and is remembered for his 66-year rule, military campaigns, extensive building programs, and monumental temples and statues. Because of his popularity, longevity, and talent for political propaganda, inscriptions and artworks bearing his name and image can be found throughout Egypt.
Excavations and archaeological work are continuing in the area.