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Thebes

The top of the Merneptah Stele includes a carving of Merneptah receiving a sword from the god Amun, but it is the text of the stele which is most fascinating. Source: Alyssa Bivins / CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Merneptah Stele: Proof Ancient Egypt Knew of the Israelites

The Merneptah Stele, also known as the Israel Stele or Victory Stele of Merneptah, in considered to be one of the most significant archaeological artifacts ever discovered in ancient Egypt. Carved...
The tomb of the Vizier Amenhotep-Huy in Luxor, Egypt. Source: Teresa Bedman / Institute of Ancient Egyptian Studies

Egyptian Tombs Reveal 60 High-Ranking Burials from the 18th Dynasty

Right at the turn of the year, a Spanish archaeological mission made a tremendous discovery in the modern city of Luxor in Egypt, which includes the site of the ancient city of Thebes. Sixty mummies...
Representative image of crocodile skulls.      Source: Akkharat J./Adobe Stock

Nine Crocodile Heads Found in Ancient Egyptian Tombs a “First of Its Kind” Discovery

Archaeologists excavating the Theban Necropolis in Egypt have made the extraordinary discovery of nine crocodile heads placed inside two tombs belonging to high-ranking nobles. The discovery was made...
The Mysterious Lady of Thebes, as reconstructed in 2D by Hew Morrison. Source: Hew Morrison / Warsaw Mummy Project

Is this the Face of the First Mummy of a Pregnant Woman?

In 2016, archaeologists finally accepted that a 2,000-year-old mummy was not a male priest when CT scans revealed the embalmed corpse seemed to be carrying a baby! It was declared the ‘only known...
Cadmus, the first Greek hero and founder of Thebes, fighting the dreaded dragon in a painting by Hendrick Goltzius. Source: Hendrik Goltzius / Public domain

Cadmus: The Amazing Tale of the First Greek Hero and It’s Horrible End

Out of all the pantheons, the exuberant deities of the ancient Greeks are perhaps the most iconic of all. For generations, imaginations have been enflamed and inspired by the sumptuous mix of high...
Karnak temple in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. Source: Calin Stan / Adobe Stock

The Ten Essential Ancient Egyptian Cities: Relics of Egypt’s Storied Past

The various civilizations which developed within ancient Egypt were some of the most technologically advanced and beautiful of their time, giving birth to some of the greatest cities the world has...
Scan of the mummified fetus discovered within the pregnant mummy. Source: Warsaw Mummy Project

Fetus Found Mummified Inside the Womb of a 2,000-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy

A mummified fetus identified within the leathery womb of an ancient Egyptian pregnant mummy was preserved for more than 2,000 years. Now, scientists have described the unusual processes that led to...
The Sacred Band of Thebes: Elite Fighters… and Lovers!

The Sacred Band of Thebes: Elite Fighters… and Lovers!

The Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite fighting unit consisting of 300 Theban soldiers who were not only warriors but coupled lovers as well. According to the scholar Plutarch, the creation of the...
Ancient Egyptian Painter Left Behind His Palette and The Paint Has Survived!

Ancient Egyptian Painter Left Behind His Palette and the Paint Has Survived!

When compared to later, more naturalistic Classical art of the Greeks and Romans, ancient Egyptian art has been described as blocky, static, abstract, and formal. But that doesn’t mean that the...
X-ray and CT scans of the mummified body show that the woman died when she was between 20-30 years old. (O. Leydo)

World First! 2,000-Year-Old Egyptian Mummy Was Pregnant

When archaeologists conducted X-ray scans of a woman’s mummified body they made a remarkable discovery. The remains of the woman who died 2,000 years ago contained a surprising secret – making her...
Shocking Truth Behind Death of Ireland’s Egyptian Mummy Unraveled

Shocking Truth Behind Death of Ireland’s Egyptian Mummy Exposed

Researchers have established that Northern Ireland’s most famous Egyptian mummy was murdered. The mummy, which is the cadaver of a woman called Takabuti who lived 2,600 years ago, is now known to...
Dr Sahar Saleem placing the mummy of Seqenenre in the CT scanner.

CT Scans Reveal Ceremonial Execution of Pharaoh ‘Seqenenre the Brave’

A professor of radiology from Cairo University has uncovered new and fascinating details about the death of the famed Egyptian Pharaoh Seqenenre-Taa-II (or Seqenenre the Brave), who ruled the...
Thebes, A City Formed by The Warriors Who Sprang from a Dragon’s Teeth

Thebes, A City Formed by The Warriors Who Sprang from a Dragon’s Teeth

In ancient times, Thebes was one of the major Greek city states, and a rival of Athens. Later on, however, Thebes fell to the Macedonians, and was eventually conquered by the Romans. The post-...
Pharoah’s Little Helpers: The Shabti Funerary Statuettes of the Ancient Egyptians

Pharaoh’s Little Helpers: The Shabti Funerary Statuettes of the Ancient Egyptians

A shabti is a funerary figurine used by the ancient Egyptians. These statuettes were placed in tombs as grave goods and were believed to function as servants for the deceased in the afterlife...
Why the Amphiareion of Oropos Was A Dream Destination

Why the Amphiareion of Oropos Was A Dream Destination

Because of its rich history, Greece is blessed with many important historic sites. One of the most intriguing is the Amphiareion in Oropos , not far from Athens. This was once a popular sanctuary and...
Ahmose I against Hyksos.   Source: Public Domain

Ancient Egyptian Wars – Navigating the Millennia of Bloodshed

In the histories of great ancient empires there was one thing that was always a certainty: war. To maintain power, to achieve wealth, and to ensure the prosperity of the people, war had to be waged:...
Entrance to the Luxor Temple at sunset showing the obelisk and statues of pharaohs

Luxor Temple: The Sacred Sanctuary With An Eternal Legacy

Luxor Temple is one of the most famous temple complexes in Egypt. This temple complex is situated on the east bank of the Nile River, in Luxor, the main city of Upper Egypt’s fourth nome. Luxor...
The young woman’s coffin and proposed trousseau. Source: CSIC

Teen Mummy was Buried with Bridal Trousseau in Ancient Thebes

Archaeologists have found the bejeweled mummy of a teenage girl in a coffin filled with ancient treasure, which may have been her trousseau, near Luxor, Egypt. The remarkable find dates back over 3,...
Fragment of the Alley of the Sphinxes in the Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt. The image of a sphinx with the head of a ram was a common depiction of the god Amun and this connected him with fertility.                   Source: Anton / Adobe stock

Amun, The Creator God Whose Supremacy Surpassed Egypt

The world of the ancient Egyptians was diverse and enigmatic, filled with untold wonders and beliefs that were closely interwoven with the nature around them. Of particular interest is the vast...
Sacrificed Bulls of Ramses II Excavated in Abydos Temple

Sacrificed Bulls of Ramses II Excavated in Abydos Temple

Ramses II, or the Great (c. 1303– 1213 BC), was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and is often regarded as the greatest and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom. During recent...
The sarcophagus of the ancient Egyptian woman Ta-Kr-Hb, where the artwork of the goddess was found.       Source: Perth Museum and Art Gallery / Culture Perth and Kinross

3000-Year-Old Egyptian Sarcophagus Revealed Mummy Secrets

Scottish scientists discovered never before seen paintings of the ancient Egyptian goddess Amentet on the 3,000-year-old sarcophagus of the famous mummy of ‘ Ta-Kr-Hb ’ (pronounced ‘takerheb’) who...
Dennis Piechota (from left), Adam Middleton, and Joe Green work on the ancient Egyptian coffin of Ankh-Khonsu with a team at the Semitic Museum. Source: Kris Snibbe / Harvard Gazette.

Image of God Found in Ancient Egyptian Coffin

Experts at Harvard University in the United States have made an astonishing discovery in a 3,000 year-old Egyptian coffin . They have found a painted image of an ancient deity inside a casket. It was...
Some of the twenty coffins found in the Assasif necropolis.    Source: Ministry of Antiquities

Huge Cache of Exquisite Coffins Found in Egypt

The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities has announced a major discovery near Luxor in the south of the country. Archaeologists have unearthed at least 20 wooden coffins that date back to the era of the...
The sarcophagus found in the ancient Egyptian soldier’s tomb; the largest rock cut tomb found to date in Thebes.

Burying an Ancient Egyptian Solider: New Kingdom Rock Cut Tomb in Luxor is Largest Yet

Tombs and burial sites are incredibly important to the study of our past and this is particularly true for ancient Egypt. The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has announced the discovery of a...

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