An Egyptian villager who discovered an ancient stone covered in hieroglyphics outside his home has led archaeologists to uncover the remains of two colossal statues believed to depict the pharaoh Ramesses II, with one originally standing more than eight metres tall.
The discovery was made in Behbeit El-Hagar, a village in Egypt's northern Nile Delta, after Khaled El-Shahat Khalil came across an inscribed stone block while working on a plot of land in front of his house.
Rather than attempting to remove or sell the artefact, Khalil immediately alerted the local antiquities authorities, prompting emergency excavations by Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.
The excavations uncovered a massive stone head measuring 1.6 metres in height, belonging to a statue of Ramesses II that archaeologists estimate originally stood approximately 8.5 metres tall, including its base.
The pharaoh is depicted wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt, symbolising the unification of the two ancient kingdoms under a single ruler.
Archaeologists also discovered part of the statue's back pillar, bearing an inscription of Ramesses II's Horus name, "Hor Ka Nakht Mery Maat", one of the royal names used by ancient Egyptian monarchs.
A second royal statue, measuring approximately 2.4 metres in its surviving portion, was also uncovered and is believed to depict the same pharaoh.
Although the statue is missing its legs, base and part of its upper section, its facial features remain remarkably well preserved. The figure wears the traditional nemes headdress, a striped royal headcloth closely associated with ancient Egyptian kings.
Nearby, archaeologists discovered a 1.3-metre block of pink granite inscribed with two of Ramesses II's royal titles: "Nesu Bity", meaning King of Upper and Lower Egypt, and "Sa Ra", meaning Son of Ra, the ancient Egyptian sun god.
Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said excavations would continue to establish the relationship between the discoveries and determine whether further archaeological remains lie beneath the site.
The discovery has renewed attention on Behbeit El-Hagar, an important ancient religious centre best known for the remains of a vast temple dedicated to Isis, one of the principal goddesses of ancient Egyptian religion.
Ramesses II, who ruled Egypt for approximately 66 years during the 13th century BC, is among the country's most celebrated pharaohs.
Known as Ramesses the Great, he oversaw an extensive programme of monumental construction, including the temples at Abu Simbel and major additions to the temple complex at Karnak.
His reign was also marked by military campaigns against the Hittite Empire, including the famous Battle of Kadesh, and a subsequent peace treaty regarded as one of the earliest surviving international peace agreements.
The latest discovery could provide further evidence of the pharaoh's monumental building activities in the Nile Delta, a region closely associated with his reign.
Meanwhile, Khalil's decision to report the original discovery has earned him an unusual reward from the Egyptian government.
On Wednesday, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy travelled to Behbeit El-Hagar alongside Gharbia Governor Alaa Abdel Moaty to personally honour the villager.
Khalil and his wife were presented with certificates of appreciation and rewarded with an Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, in recognition of his honesty and contribution to preserving Egypt's archaeological heritage.
Fathy insisted that the ceremony take place on Khalil's own land, surrounded by his family and fellow villagers.
The minister praised Khalil's responsible conduct, saying his prompt notification had enabled archaeologists to investigate the site scientifically and safeguard the discoveries.
He also announced that the area would receive greater archaeological attention, with preliminary indications suggesting that further significant discoveries could be awaiting excavation.
