An archaeological expedition has discovered dozens of ancient Egyptian burials in the city of Damietta containing valuable artifacts, including bronze coins and gold figurines.
The found graves date back to different periods. Some of them belong to the 26th Dynasty (688-525 BC), while others date back to the Ptolemaic era (304-30 BC). Among the finds are ceramics and statuettes of the chebti, which, according to ancient Egyptian beliefs, were supposed to serve the deceased in the afterlife.
The researchers were particularly interested in 38 bronze coins found in a ceramic vessel. Thomas Fauchet, director of the Center for Alexandrian Studies in Egypt, analyzed the images of the coins and suggested that many of them contain images of Zeus-Ammon — a deity that combines the features of Greek Zeus and Egyptian Ammon. One of the coins probably depicts an eagle with a horn of plenty.
Fauchet dates the coins to the end of the third century BCE, a period of political unrest in Ptolemaic Egypt.
«A large number of treasures were hidden during the uprising in Southern Egypt in 206 BC», — the scientist notes.
He emphasizes the importance of this find, given the limited amount of known material from this period in the region.
In addition to the coins, the archaeologists found gold figurines buried with the dead. Some of them depict «ba-birds» — mythological creatures with wings and a human head. In ancient Egyptian beliefs, «ba» represented a part of the human soul. Other figures reproduce the «eye of Horus» — symbol associated with the falcon god, who was credited with protective properties.
Source: Livescience, egymonuments.gov.eg
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