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Statuette of Mut from the Late Period, Dynasty XXVI, circa 664-525. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.

Inscribed limestone blocks unearthed in Egypt

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf

Statuette of Mut from the Late Period, Dynasty XXVI, circa 664-525. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
Statuette of Mut from the Late Period, Dynasty XXVI, circa 664-525. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
CAIRO (AP) – French archaeologists have unearthed hundreds of 3,000-year-old colored limestone blocks believed to have been used to build the sacred lake walls of a temple dedicated to the goddess Mut.

Egypt’s minister of antiquities, Zahi Hawass, says the blocks were unearthed in San El-Hagar in northern Egypt. Hawass said in a statement Monday the blocks may have belonged to King Osorkon II of the 22nd Dynasty (945-718 B.C.) and been used for either a temple or a chapel.

The French mission has so far cleaned 120 blocks, 78 of which have inscriptions.

San El-Hagar was known as Tanis during the pharaonic era. It is one of the oldest Egyptian cities and contains many temples belonging to the god Amun.

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AP-WF-06-27-11 1500GMT

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Statuette of Mut from the Late Period, Dynasty XXVI, circa 664-525. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
Statuette of Mut from the Late Period, Dynasty XXVI, circa 664-525. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.