2023 Author: Bryan Walter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 22:24
Sculptural head of Marcus Aurelius, found in Aswan
Egyptian archaeologists have made two important finds in Upper Egypt. They found the sculpted head of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius and the remains of the temple of Osiris, supposedly built in the 7th century BC. As noted by Dr. Ayman Ashmawi of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, the find is unique, as archaeologists rarely find sculptural images of Marcus Aurelius.
Emperor Marcus Aurelius, "philosopher on the throne", ruled from 161 to 180 AD. He paid great attention to legal proceedings and education. He founded several schools of philosophy in Athens and assigned state support to their teachers. He also supported children from low-income families and orphans. Despite his non-warlike character, Marcus Aurelius successfully waged wars with the Sarmatians, Marcomans and Germanic tribes, as well as with Parthia. The emperor, an adherent of the Stoic doctrine, left behind a collection of philosophical thoughts, the translations of which are most widespread under the title "To Myself".
The sculptural head of Marcus Aurelius with a beard and curly hair was found in Aswan in the Kom-Ombo temple, built in 180-47 BC under the Ptolemies. Initially, the temple was divided into two parts, one of which was dedicated to the god Sebek with a crocodile head, and the other to the god Horus. Most of the temple was destroyed by floods and earthquakes, and the rest was used as a quarry in later construction. So only a small part of it has survived to this day. How the statue of Marcus Aurelius could have ended up in the temple of Kom Ombo, the researchers do not write.
The second find was the remains of the sanctuary of the god Osiris at Karnak, south of the monumental temple of the god Amun, who became the main god of Egypt under the pharaohs of the XVIII dynasty (1550-1192). The temple complex in Karnak was dedicated to Amun himself, his wife, mother goddess Mut and son, the moon god Khonsu. The Sanctuary of Osiris was built between the temples of Amun and Mut, east of the Avenue of the Sphinxes. Researchers found the entrance to the sanctuary, columns and interior walls, as well as one of the rooms, foundation stones and a floor.
In addition, earthen pots and part of a stone panel depicting a table for sacrifices with a ram (the symbol of Amun) and a goose were found in Karnak. A winged sun disc was carved into the panel at the top. In the sanctuary, archaeologists found the carved names of the last two pharaohs of the XXV dynasty - Taharka and Tanuatamon, who ruled in 690-664 and 664-656 BC, respectively. Apparently, a temple was built with them.
Ministry of Antiquities, Egypt / AhramOnline
Ministry of Antiquities, Egypt / AhramOnline
At the end of last year, researchers found artifacts in the harbor of Alexandria related to earlier Roman history: sunken ships from the Roman period, gold coins minted during the reign of Octavian Augustus, and a sculptural head, possibly depicting Mark Antony and three sunken ships.
