Archaeologists uncover 2,000 well-preserved ram heads in Egypt

It's thought that they may be related to Osiris.
Nergis Firtina
Newly found ram heads.
Newly found ram heads.

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities  

Belonging to the Ptolemaic era, at least 2,000 mummified ram heads have been discovered, together with a grand Old Kingdom building, at the Ramses II temple in the ancient city of Abydos in southern Egypt.

As announced by officials, along with the ram heads, mummified ewes, dogs, wild goats, cows, gazelles, and mongooses were discovered in the temple.

These remains are believed to be votive offerings indicating that Ramses II was still revered at the location about 1,000 years after his passing, according to a statement from the tourism and antiquities ministry.

It also said that the new information would increase our understanding of the site's history of more than two millennia up to the Ptolemaic era. Up until the Roman conquest in 30 B.C., the Ptolemaic period lasted almost three centuries, reported by Reuters.

Archaeologists uncover 2,000 well-preserved ram heads in Egypt
The ram.

Center for the worship of the god Osiris

One of Egypt's most significant yet under-visited archaeological sites is Abydos, which is situated in the Egyptian governorate of Sohag, about 270 miles (435 kilometers) south of Cairo. It served as both a necropolis for early ancient Egyptian aristocracy and a place of worship for the god Osiris.

The crew also discovered a massive palace from the sixth dynasty of the Old Kingdom with walls that were around five meters thick, along with various statues, papyri, the old tree remains, leather clothing, and shoes, in addition to the mummified animal remains.

According to Sameh Iskander, the mission's leader, the structure might assist in reestablishing the sense of the old landscape of Abydos before the construction of the Ramses II temple.

More about Osiris

In ancient Egyptian mythology, Osiris represented fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation. He was classically depicted as a green-skinned deity with a pharaoh's beard, partially mummy-wrapped at the legs, wearing a distinctive atef crown, and holding a symbolic crook and flail.

He was among the first people to be related to the mummy wrap. After being killed by his brother Set, Osiris' wife, Isis discovered all the parts and wrapped up his body, allowing him to come back to life. Until the demise of ancient Egyptian religion amid the expansion of Christianity in the Roman Empire, Osiris was revered universally.

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