Egyptian Farmer Accidentally Discovers Two Massive Statues from the Era of Ramses II

An Egyptian farmer has discovered the fragments of two massive statues dating back more than 3,200 years to the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II on his land in northern Egypt.

An Egyptian farmer named Khaled al-Shahat has uncovered the fragments of two massive statues dating back more than 3,200 years to the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II on his land, according to details shared from the discovery. The find was made in the village of Behbeit el-Hagar in northern Egypt, after which the landholder immediately informed the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, prompting archaeologists to visit the site.

Ramses II ruled Egypt for approximately 66 years, from around 1279 to 1213 B.C., expanding the Egyptian empire to the borders of modern-day Syria and leaving behind numerous large-scale construction projects. The newly discovered fragments were found in the area west of a temple complex dedicated to Isis, the ancient Egyptian goddess of medicine and magic. According to Cairo University Egyptologist Mahmoud Imam, architectural details bearing the name of Ramses II had previously been found at the same location.

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One of the newly found statues could have reached an original height of 8.5 meters, though primarily the head section has survived at roughly 1.6 meters in height, depicting the pharaoh with a double crown symbolizing the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. A hieroglyphic inscription preserved on a pillar represents the pharaoh’s Horus name, which translates approximately as the mighty bull beloved of Maat, the ancient Egyptian embodiment of truth, justice, and world order. A second statue stands about 2.4 meters tall and reportedly depicts Ramses II wearing a nemes, the striped headcloth typical of Egyptian rulers, alongside a pink granite slab bearing hieroglyphs that refer to the pharaoh as the king of Upper and Lower Egypt and the son of the sun god Ra.

These recent finds confirm that extensive construction took place in the area during the reign of Ramses II, building upon architectural fragments previously described by Imam and his colleagues near the Isis temple in 2017. Imam stated that further excavations will help researchers better understand the early history of the temple complex, though the monument faces potential threats from modern urban expansion, making continued investigations urgent to preserve these valuable testimonies of ancient Egyptian history.

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