It remains unclear why all gold artefacts were buried in a pot
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Archaeologists have discovered a 2,600-year-old pot containing gold jewellery and statuettes of a family of gods at an ancient Egyptian temple.
The artefacts were unearthed at the Karnak temple complex, one of the most important ancient Egyptian shrines. The complex near Luxor was constructed nearly 4,000 years ago, and maintained, renovated and modified for nearly a millennium afterwards.
The artefacts found at the site included beads, amulets and statuettes, many made of gold, the Egyptian ministry of tourism and antiquities said.
The ornaments were contained in a small pot, which was found broken, and all the pieces were “in good condition from preservation”.
The jewellery collection consisted of rings made of gold and metal as well as a triple statue of ancient Egyptian gods, said Mohamed Abdel-Badii, the head of the Egyptian Archaeology Sector.
The triple statuette depicted the chief god of Thebes, Amun, his wife and mother goddess Mut, and their son and Moon god Khonsu standing beside each other.
Researchers said the statuettes were likely part of jewellery worn around the neck like an amulet.
A metal brooch and artefacts representing the gods in animal forms were also found as were a number of beads, some of them plated in gold and dating to the beginning of ancient Egypt’s 26th Dynasty.
Some of the amulets were in the form of wadjet, eye-shaped ancient Egyptian jewellery that was believed to protect its wearer.
It was not clear why the artefacts were buried in a pot, researchers said, proposing they could have been a ritual offering or a donation to the temple treasury.
The latest find could lead to a clearer understanding of the Karnak temples and their historical evolution during the first millennium BC.
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Previous excavations at the site had revealed many mud buildings dating back to the beginning of the 26th Dynasty. The structures were likely used as workshops or stores associated with the temple or as other places of worship, researchers said.
Archaeologists were working on restoring and documenting the newly discovered artefacts, which would then be exhibited at the Luxor Museum, the ministry said.