During excavations in the El-Buheira province in northern Egypt, Egyptian archaeologists stumbled upon a sword once wielded by Pharaoh Ramses II, the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced.
According to a statement from the ministry, the “Egyptian archaeological mission … uncovered a series of mud-brick architectural blocks from military barracks and warehouses dating back to the New Kingdom period during excavations in the Tell el-Abkain archaeological area … in the El-Buheira province. Various archaeological finds and soldiers’ personal tools were also discovered.”
As noted by Mohammed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Higher Council of Antiquities in Egypt, the discovery confirms the historical and archaeological significance of the El-Abkain Fort, which was considered one of the largest military outposts during ancient times.
“The mission found a long bronze sword with a cartouche (name tag) of Pharaoh Ramses II,” the ministry stated, adding that archaeologists also discovered weapons, hunting tools, personal hygiene items, amulets, a cow burial site, and two limestone blocks, one of which featured hieroglyphic inscriptions of Ramses II’s titles.
Ramses II is considered one of the most illustrious rulers in ancient Egyptian history, believed to have reigned for over 60 years (13th century BC) during which Egypt achieved significant military victories and substantial territorial conquests.
In recent times, Egyptian archaeologists have been making frequent discoveries in northern Egypt. Earlier, they uncovered a sixth-century BC astronomical observatory in the Kafr el-Sheikh province and bronze coins from the Ptolemaic era in Damietta.
