Thousands of Mummified Ram Skulls Found In Ancient Egyptian Temple
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Archaeologists from New York University have unearthed over 2,000 mummified ram heads in the ancient Egyptian city of Abydos. Located about 275 miles (442 km) south of Cairo, Abydos is one of Egypt's most important archaeological sites. It is home to numerous tombs, monuments, and temples.
Dr. Sameh Iskandar and his team found the skulls inside a previously undiscovered storage building. It was located in the northern part of an ancient temple built in honor of Ramses II. The powerful pharaoh ruled Egypt from 1279 BCE to 1213 BCE. Some of the rams' heads are still covered in bandages and are partially preserved. But the majority are fleshless skulls.
"We came across some random pieces of skulls first," Dr. Iskandar said. "We didn't know what they were, but as we continued our excavation and exploration, all of [a] sudden, we found a whole area filled with ram skulls."
The scientists also found skeletons of wild goats, dogs, cows, and deer in the area. The animal remains date back to about 1,000 years after Ramses II ruled Egypt. They were most likely left as offering to the much-revered pharaoh in the afterlife.
The excavations also led to the discovery of another previously unknown building near the temple. The researchers believe it dates back to Egypt's sixth dynasty (2323 BCE to 2150 BCE). This is about 1,100 years before Ramses II ruled Egypt. The structure had unusually thick walls and contained a number of historic relics. They include statues, stone slabs, and even the remains of a tree. The artifacts will provide new insights into the activities and architecture of the city of Abydos during that era.
Resources: LiveScience.com, CNN.com, Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/ Facebook
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77 Comments
mckoicu27over 1 yearwow that's a lot of skulls
hermione72over 1 yearWhoa thats scary but sooo cool
bluetiger10over 1 yearThis is so cool!- frida1011over 1 yearthis is cool
- cloudsrcoolover 1 yearthis is so fascinating omg 🙉
bynyzatuwugiover 1 yearIt is just crazy that it was that many ram skulls. think it this way but it was not human skulls- menaceover 1 yearMy theory as to why they might do this is to serve their leader Ramses II, worshipping him for his possible great leadership, who knows he could've been a great leader compared to past leaders, this or there might've been a god/goddess that they served and worshipped or maybe the god Khnum, the ram god. It could just be the egyptians herds that they buried over time as they passed away over the years. My theory is that it was a god because egyptians were KNOWN to sacrifice animals to their gods without a second thought, but that's just a theory, a news theory. :)
philliesphan287over 1 yearSomehow this reminds me of the terracotta army...
dragon45778over 1 yearso creepy but cool too- dragon45778over 1 yearthat is a lot of skulls
zzyover 1 yearThis probably happened because Egyptians probably sacrificed and mummified ram head as a ritual to their god(s).