Ramesses II: An Introduction

Ramesses II was a pharaoh in ancient Egypt. He was ‘Userma’atre’setepenre’. It means the ‘Keeper of harmony and balance, Strong in right, Elect of Ra’. In Egypt, the 19th Dynasty existed between 1292 BCE – 1186 BCE. Ramesses II was the third pharaoh of that Dynasty. He ruled Egypt for around 60 years. He was an important ruler. Because he expanded the ancient Egyptian Kingdom till modern Syria to the east and modern Sudan to the south. So this discovery is important because of its association with him.

The present discovery

It was the month of December 2019. A team of archaeologists revealed a statue of the pharaoh Ramesses II. Ministry of Antiquities in Egypt announced this discovery. This discovery took place near the ancient pyramids of Giza.

Pyramids of Giza

Giza is the third-largest city in Egypt. It is the capital of Giza Governorate. It is located on the west bank of the river Nile. The Pyramids of Giza is one of the famous and mysterious monuments in the world. There are three pyramids in Giza. Pyramids of Giza comes under the seven wonders of the world. These monuments were constructed during the reign of the 4th Dynasty. Pharaoh Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure are believed to build these pyramids.

Location of the present discovery

Illegal excavation is very common and frequent in Egypt. Antiquity mafia usually do this. Because it has a wide black-market all around the world. Egypt is a heaven for these people. Because Egypt is a land of huge archaeological remains.

Thus, the government continues the inspection of such suspicious activities. It was the month of December 2019. Police arrested a man. Because he was involved in the illegal trafficking of antiquities near the region of Pyramids of Giza. Archaeologists later found this statue on his property. So, one thing is important that the real context of the state has already been lost. According to officials, the statue was caked in mud. So it is clear that the person tried to hide it.

The Statue & its significance

The discovered statue is made out of pink-colored granite. It has a height of three and a half feet. According to the Ministry, the statue is one of the rarest archaeological discoveries. So, we can say that this type of statement indicates its significance.

According to the Secretary-General of Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri said that the statue has shown a craft of a specific style. Ancient people of Egypt used this style to portray and capture the essential nature of an individual. It gave the individual a more realistic representation. This discovery is important from this viewpoint. Because it is the first discovered specimen of that specific style ‘made out of granite’.

An inscription

This discovery is important in terms of epigraphic value. Because archaeologists recovered an inscription of the back of the stone bore. So this inscription is significant. Because it has the name ‘strong bull’. It probably indicates the strength of the king. So it also indicates that Ramesses II was a powerful pharaoh. So this small discovery actually added great wealth to the existing knowledge. Thus, the proper monitoring of the government in antiquity trafficking is necessary. Because it helps to recover valuable artifacts like this statue.