Egyptian Dig Uncovers 3,000-Year-Old Piece of History

Archaeologists recently found a site that's said to help "tell the story of the most ancient military on earth."

A team working along the Suez Canal in North Sinai in Egypt found what they believe to be the headquarters of the Egyptian army during the New Kingdom, which fell between 1550–1070 B.C.

"A number of mud brick royal warehouses belonging to kings 'Thutmosis III' and 'Ramses II,' some seals carrying the name of Thutmosis III were also discovered," the country's Ministry of Antiquities announced this week. "Among the discoveries also was a huge 26th Dynasty mud brick cemetery containing various tombs with bodies revealing battle injuries."

Part of the eastern gate of the Tharu Fortress had three huge limestone blocks with inscriptions of King Ramses II and was, as Antiquities Minister Mamdouh Mohamed Gad Eldamaty said, where the army secured eastern borders between Egypt and Palestine.

"[The] Antiquities Minister added that the discovered fragments will be displayed at the Military History Museum that is intended to be established within the Panorama of Egypt's Military History project on the east bank of Suez Canal that will display all the historic artifacts that tell the story of the most ancient military on earth," the ministry stated. "A project that will start a new type of tourism in Egypt which is the Military Forts tourism, a process that goes hand in hand with the Ministry's plan to develop the archaeological sites at the New Suez Canal corridor."

The discovery of the 3,000-year-old fortress as a whole was announced earlier this year.

At the time, lead archaeologist Mohammed Abdel-Maqsound told the Cario Post the discovery "reflects the details of the ancient Egyptian military history. It is a model example of Ancient Egypt’s military architecture, as well as the Egyptian war strategies through different ages, for the protection of the entirety of Egypt."

(H/T: International Business Times)

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