Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a temple in Tell El Fara’in, an ancient Egyptian city that translates to “Hill of the pharaohs.”
The relics were discovered during the excavation of a 21-foot-by-15-foot site that revealed a small portion of the sacred temple dedicated to the goddess Wadjet, the matron protector of Lower Egypt. The temple complex once covered 11 acres.
Among the ruins are three limestone columns that may have been part of the temple’s long hall of pillars, as well as numerous artifacts such as engraved stone, religious pottery, and other ceramics.
A limestone painting of a bird’s head with a white crown surrounded by feathers was also discovered, according to a press release posted on Facebook by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquity (MTA), and is thought to represent the goddess Nakhbet or Mutt.
The location is in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, 59 miles from Alexandria. Buto was a sacred site dedicated to the goddess Wadjet, and was an important cultural and religious center during prehistoric Egypt, from the Paleolithic Era to 3100 BC.
According to the MTA press release, the most recent excavation uncovered a “huge stone building a number of ritual and daily religious rites in the temple, a fascinating collection of ivory illustrations and some important gold discoveries, as well as hieroglyphic paintings.”
According to the MTA, Dr. Hossam Ghanim’s, general director of Kafr El-Sheikh and head of the archaeological mission, statement that the mission is continuing its excavation work on the site in the hopes of “uncovering more secrets” of the region.
