Ancient Egyptian temple discovered by allegedly illegal excavation

An allegedly illegal excavation discovered an ancient temple beneath a house in rural Egypt, the country's antiquities minister announced Wednesday.

The temple is over 3,000 years old, and authorities said the artifacts discovered include columns, a statue, and tablets engraved with hieroglyphics that can be traced to the New Kingdom period, or about 1539 to 1075 B.C. The Ministry of Antiquities is now looking into what else is down there.

The clandestine excavation team reportedly dug about 30 feet under a house and used diving equipment when they encountered groundwater. The seven diggers were detained, though later freed, when authorities got wind of the operation.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up