Archaeologists in Egypt say they've uncovered a massive 4,400-year-old sun temple tied to an ancient pharaoh—one of only two such structures ever found. An Italian team, working with Egypt's antiquities ministry, uncovered more than half of the long-buried temple of King Nyuserre, a lesser-known pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty, at the Abusir necropolis, about 12 miles south of Cairo. Part of a larger complex dedicated to the sun god Ra, the structure is described as more than 1,000 square meters with distinctive architecture that officials say places it among the largest and most notable valley temples in the ancient Memphis region, per CBS News.
Only six solar temples are thought to have been built during the Fifth Dynasty; Nyuserre's temple is just the second confirmed, per CBS. While digging in Nile River sediment, archaeologists identified the temple's entrance, column bases, wall coverings, granite thresholds, and a ramp believed to have once connected the temple to the Nile or one of its branches. The site itself has been known since 1901, but couldn't be excavated at the time because of a high water table.
The new excavation also turned up hieroglyphic texts referring to the temple's religious festivals, pieces of pottery, and two wooden pieces from an ancient board game called Senet, similar to chess. Archaeologists believe the temple may have been repurposed into a small residential settlement a few centuries after it was constructed, Egypt Today reports. The discovery comes as Egypt steps up efforts to showcase its ancient heritage. In a separate project in Luxor, authorities have just unveiled the restored Colossi of Memnon—two giant alabaster statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, reassembled after a roughly two-decade conservation effort.
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