Archaeologists have discovered an Egyptian settlement likely built by Tutankhamun’s father around 3,400 years ago in a huge breakthrough.
Until now, it was thought that Kom el-Nugus – a historic site in northern Egypt where the discovery was made – was only occupied from the Greek Hellenistic period, around 323-30 BC. However, ancient relics such as jugs, bowls, and the foundations of building thought to have been a temple suggest a different story dating back to the 18th Dynasty (1550–1292 BC). Study author Sylvain Dhennin, an archaeologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), suggested there is more to uncover at this mudbrick settlement. She told LiveScience: “The quality of the remains, their planned organisation around a street, could suggest a fairly large-scale occupation.”
Dhennin speculated that the settlement made wine after discovering a vessel emblazoned with the name Meritaten, who is thought to have been Tutankhamun’s sister or half-sister, and daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.
The ancient Egyptian Royal’s name was stamped on an amphora – a vessel with an oval body, narrow cylindrical neck, and two handles – which could be an example of branding.
Several blocks from a temple dedicated to Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II, who ruled between 1279-1213 BC under the 19th Dynasty, were also found.
“The monumental building was almost entirely dismantled, probably in successive waves from the Imperial period (30 BC–AD 476) onwards,” said Dhennin, who suggested it could have had military links.
She explained: “There was a temple, built by King Ramses II, as well as private funerary chapels, which mention military personnel.
“If the settlement was indeed military in nature, it’s possible that there was also a fortified wall and administrative buildings.”
The new findings, published in the journal Antiquity, contribute to a “re-evaluation of the ancient history of northern Egypt”.
Dhennin said: “Discovery of well-preserved levels and structures is bringing new dimensions to this New Kingdom settlement.
“Much work remains to be done at Kom el-Nugus, by extending the excavations. At present, the finds do not allow us to give an adequate characterisation of the occupation.
“Further work is needed to shed light on the New Kingdom history of the Mediterranean coast.”
Kom el-Nugus was first excavated in 2013, about 27 miles west of Alexandria between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Mariout. The newly-found settlement was first discovered north of Lake Mariout.