Archaeologists Reveal Ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Treasures in Beni Suef

In a recent excavation, the officials of the ministries of antiquities found a series of discoveries at Ehnasiya Al-Medina in Beni Suef, Egypt. At the site the archaeologists found King Senusret III’s inscriptions, some remains of the basilica from the Roman era, and a rare head of Aphrodite made of marble. All these things are shedding light on the different era of Egyptian history with physical proofs.

Where is Ehnasiya Al-Medina in Egypt? 

The place Ehnasiya Al-Medina is the ancient city known as Herakleopolis Magna, located around 15 kilometers west of the modern-day city Beni Suef, which is around 130 kilometers from the capital city, Cairo. In ancient times the place served as the royal capital of Egypt during the 9th and 10th dynasties of the first intermediate period. After the rule of the Middle Kingdom in the Greek and Roman periods, it is widely known as Herakleopolis Magna and also as the City of Heracles the Great during the peak of the Greek period. 

Recently, here under an archaeological mission by the Supreme Council of Antiquities, they have discovered some significant objects related to history, which is related to the Greco-Roman period. 

Of all the discoveries at Ehnasiya Al-Medina, the most significant was an inscription linked with Senusret III, a king who ruled during the peak of the Middle Kingdom in Egypt. The inscription shows the king’s throne and birth name alongside a cartouche, an oval-shaped hieroglyph used to depict royalty seen carrying the name of a deity, Osir-Naref. It provides evidence of royal activity and religious patronage during the Pharaonic and Ptolemaic periods in the region. 

Other objects that were found during the excavation are 

• Extensions of a Roman-era basilica, a large public building from the Roman period. 
• Remains of an earlier Doric temple, a Greek-style temple characterized by Doric architecture.
• A marble head of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of affection and beauty.
• Fragments of wall statues.
• Terracotta molds, which were used for coin production during the Roman period.

The minister of tourism and antiquities in Egypt, Sherif Fathy, said that all these discoveries are a crucial addition to the research about understanding the role of Ehnasiya Al-Medina in history during different periods and eras in ancient times. 

The secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Hesham El-Leithy, has added that the inscription related to Senusret III acts as evidence to prove its connection to the monuments and religion during the Middle Kingdom at Ehnasiya, near Beni Suef in Egypt. 

The importance of the basilica sections: 

Hesham El-Leithy added that sections of the basilica that are uncovered offer insights about the evolution of building types. In ancient times the basilicas usually served as a center for commercial, administrative, and social functions during the era of the Greeks. Later, they were adopted by Christianity and, in later centuries, seen as churches. 

Thoughts of Mohamed Abdel Badei on this discovery 

The head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mohamed Abdel Badei, says that remains of the Doric temple were reused by the architects of the sixth century AD to build the foundation of the basilica. As the excavation shows, the builders of  ancient ages have arranged the large blocks to support the columns that weigh around 45 tonnes. The archaeologists noted that 3 of them were reamined at the original spots.

Also, it says about the Aphrodite sculpture, which has a height of 24 by 25 cm. He said that it is the proof of quality craftsmanship, which is experienced in the formation of fascial features accurately; the wavy hairs represent the artistic traditions of Greek times.  

He also said about the fragments of the wall statue and terracotta molds that this evidence says that Ehnasiya Al-Medina remained active after the Middle Kingdom for economic and cultural purposes. To conclude, he also said that detailed analysis and research will continue to work on the newly discovered historically important objects. 

Conclusion 

These new discoveries at Ehnasiya Al-Medina have proved that archaeological departments and the antiquities ministry are seriously working and researching continuously to uncover the unknown history of ancient Egypt. So, this is surely interesting news for people who are interested in Egyptology and also for the history lovers. In Egypt, history is so fascinating and mesmerizing that it captivates the travelers’ interest.

Through museums and Nile cruise in Egypt packages, you can explore the unknown parts of Egyptian history beyond the pyramids. We are a cruise provider company based in Egypt; our effort is about making tourists know about travel, history, and updates about Egypt in a simplified way.