Archaeologists discover colossal pharaoh statue in Egyptian slum

(Image credit: MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images)

published 10 March 2017

On Thursday, archaeologists unearthed part of a massive ancient Egyptian statue buried in a pit of groundwater in a slum on the outskirts of Cairo. The quartzite statue, estimated to be 3,000 years old and to have once measured nearly 30 feet tall, is being hailed by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities as "one of [its] most important archaeological discoveries."

Although the figure bears no inscription, archaeologists suspect it may be a statue of Pharaoh Ramses II because of its proximity to the gate of a temple dedicated to the ruler, one of Egypt's most famous. Archaeologists so far have only found parts of the statue, including its bust, the lower part of the head, the crown, the right ear, and part of the right eye. If they are able to unearth more of the missing pieces in the continued excavation, the statue will be displayed at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, which is slated to open next year.