Archaeologists have unearthed a Sphinx-like statue and the remains of a shrine at an ancient temple in southern Egypt, antiquities authorities said on Monday.
The artifacts were found in the Dendera temple in Qena province, 280 miles south of the capital Cairo, the antiquities ministry said in a statement.
Archaeologists believe the statue’s smiling features may belong to the Roman emperor Claudius, who extended Rome’s rule into North Africa between AD 41 and 54, the ministry said.
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This undated photo, released March 6, 2023, shows a sphinx statue believed to have been made to replicate a Roman emperor. The statue was discovered from an archaeological site in Qena, Egypt. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities via AP)
He said archaeologists will conduct further studies of the markings on the stone slab, which could reveal more information about the statue’s identity and the area. The statue is much smaller than the massive and well-known Sphinx in the Giza Pyramid complex, which stands at 66 feet tall.
Archaeologists also found a Roman-era stone slab with demotic and hieroglyphic inscriptions.
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The limestone shrine includes a two-layered platform and a Byzantine-era mud-brick basin, the ministry said.
Such discoveries are usually touted by the Egyptian government in hopes of attracting more tourists, a significant source of foreign exchange for the cash-strapped North African country.
