A major archaeological discovery in Egypt has aroused enthusiasm among people around the world. According to a BBC report (article beyond the paywall), a sphinx-like statue with a “smiley face and two dimples” has been unearthed along with the remains of a shrine near one of Egypt’s best-preserved ancient sites.
The report said the artifacts were found inside a two-tiered tomb near the Hathor Temple in Qena province.
The limestone sphinx, thought to be much smaller than the famous Sphinx at the Pyramids of Giza, is believed to belong to the Roman emperor Claudius, who expanded Roman rule into North Africa between 41 and 54 AD, the report said.
In addition to the Smiling Sphinx, archaeologists also found a Roman-era stone slab with demotic and hieroglyphic inscriptions. It consists of a two-layer platform and a mud-brick basin from the Byzantine era.
According to Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry, archaeologists will study the inscriptions on the stone slab to find out more about the identity of the statue.
A hidden nine-metre (30 ft)-long corridor was recently discovered near the main entrance to the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza. According to a Reuters report, the scan pyramid project that was discovered since 2015 has been using non-invasive techniques, including infrared thermography, 3D simulation and cosmic-ray imaging.
