At least 2,000 mummified ram heads were unearthed in Egypt during an excavation carried out by a mission from New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. These ram heads, which are believed to be dating from the Ptolemaic period and a palatial Old Kingdom structure, were found at the temple of Ramses II in the ancient city of Abydos in southern Egypt, according to a report from Reuters on Sunday.
Along with the ram heads, mummified ewes, dogs, wild goats, cows, gazelles, and mongooses were also found in the temple. A statement from the tourism and antiquities ministry said that these are thought to be votive offerings indicating continuing reverence for Ramses II at the site about 1,000 years after his death.
The team has also uncovered a large palatial structure with walls approximately five meters thick from the Old Kingdom’s sixth dynasty, along with several statues, papyri, ancient tree remains, leather garments and shoes.
These discoveries would help expand knowledge of the site over a period of more than two millennia up to the Ptolemaic period. The Ptolemaic period spanned about three centuries until the Roman conquest in 30 B.C.
Abydos is located in the Egyptian governorate of Sohag about 270 miles (435 km) south of Cairo. Though the city is lesser visited, Abydos remains one of Egypt’s major archaeological sites. It was a necropolis for early ancient Egyptian royalty and a pilgrimage centre for the worship of the god Osiris.
Sameh Iskander, the head of the mission, said: “The structure could help re-establish the sense of the ancient landscape of Abydos before the construction of the Ramses II temple.”
