Man discovers long-lost seal of Pharaoh Ramses II on sale for $19 at online shop
Talk about a good deal.
James Balme, an English archaeologist, stumbled upon a "garden stone" for sale on a charity website for about $19. But the stone is likely not a garden stone at all — Balme believes it is a 3,000-year-old personal seal, or cartouche, of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II. Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, ruled Egypt from 1279 to 1213 B.C.E., Ancient Origins notes.
Experts are now analyzing the stone cartouche and its hieroglyphics to determine whether it was, indeed, Ramses' seal. One side of the seal is carved with the depiction of a seated man with a scarab beetle and an eagle, along with a sun disk. The other side bears writing in hieroglyphics.
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Ramses' original burial site was looted by grave robbers, according to Ancient Origins, so it's possible the seal has migrated far away from its original owner. His mummy is now displayed in Egypt's Cairo Museum.
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