The Nile, which most people know as the longest river in the world, runs through 11 modern countries. Many civilizations arose near this ancient river and many battles took place, after which many cemeteries remained along the banks of the Nile. In some graves, scientists find various artifacts that make us change the modern view of history, but some of the findings have never been explained.
1. Alabaster Tia
In 2017, workers near Luxor relocated a huge statue of Pharaoh Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC). In doing so, they discovered that a previously unknown mysterious statue was hidden near the right foot of the statue of the pharaoh. Unlike the colossal Amenhotep, the woman's statue was made in life size from alabaster. 3,400-year-old unique carvings, according to archaeologists, depicted Queen Tia. Earlier, inside the tomb on the west bank of the Nile, several statues of Tiya, the "main wife" of Amenhotep III and the grandmother of Tutankhamun, were found. But the new find was the only one not made of quartzite. It is also noteworthy that since the statue was in excellent condition, its original color was partially preserved.
2. Nelson's women
Centuries ago, British rules prohibited women from boarding ships. However, not only did they actually swim, recent excavations on Nelson's Island in Egypt have shown that women participated in the Battle of the Nile in Abukir Bay. Archaeologists believe that 40 graves found on this island are directly related to the famous confrontation between the French and the British led by Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson in 1798. Those who were killed in action were buried at sea, and those who later died of their wounds were buried on the island.
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During the examination of the burials, an unexpected fact came to light. Among the graves of soldiers and sailors were the graves of children and women. Despite strict maritime laws, many officers were allowed to bring their families. During the conflict, these wives were not idle. In his memoirs, John Nichols, a British sailor who fought in battle, recounted how women served gunpowder to riflemen during battle. However, none of the female remains on Nelson's Island have been identified.
3. The personality of cats
The Egyptians were at one time credited with domestication of cats, citing a 1950 BC image of a cat under a table. But in 2004, the remains of a 9,500-year-old cat were found in a human grave in Cyprus. But according to the results of a new genetic study, the "homeland of the first domestic cats" may return to Egypt again. Four years after a new ancient cemetery was found on the west bank of the Nile, it found the remains of animals 3500 years older than Cypriot ones.
4. Mystical toe rings
On the east bank of the Nile, Pharaoh Akhenaten, son of Queen Tiye, built his new capital, Amarna. Since Akhenaten was a very unpopular ruler, the city was abandoned soon after his death. One of the graves belonged to a man in his thirties with signs of bone trauma. In fact, the 3,300-year-old skeleton has accumulated many injuries during its lifetime, including fractures of the ribs and left radius.
The right side was even worse: cracks in the elbows, feet and thighs. And on the toe of this skeleton, a rare ring made of copper alloy was found (this was only the second copper ring that was found in Egyptian graves). A second toe ring was later found in the same cemetery, but its owner showed no clear signs of injury.
5. Luxor mummy
Near the city of Luxor, there is a temple that was once dedicated to Pharaoh Thutmose III. Located on the west bank of the Nile, the temple has been known for several decades. But it wasn't until 2009 that archaeologists found a necropolis under this sacred structure. One of the 20 graves contained an unusual find. Despite the fact that all the graves were looted and the coffins were half-broken, the mummy was surprisingly intact.
And the real secret of this mummy, buried somewhere between 1075 BC. and 664 BC, is her personality and connection with Thutmose III. Although inscriptions were found that it was Amenrenefe, a respected man who worked as a personal servant of the pharaoh, why he was buried in the temple of one of the most famous pharaohs in Egypt is unknown.
6. Headless crocodiles
In 2015, a necropolis was discovered in Gebel el Silsil, which was the burial place of quarry workers about 3,400 years ago. Skeleton analysis provided some interesting information (people lived in quarries and were in good physical condition), but there were also some strange burials found in the cemetery. The most unusual was the crypt, which was full of sheep and goat burials, and its courtyard was guarded by … a crocodile.
An adult crocodile may have died of natural causes before it was probably sacrificed, but then the remains of a second reptile were found, as well as indications that the reptiles were deliberately placed between tombs after death. Both crocodiles were in the same position and lacked heads. It is also interesting to note that the patron saint of Gebel el-Silsila was Sebek, the crocodile god.
7. Tombs with stairs
Another archaeological excavation was carried out in 2017 on the west bank of the Nile River, this time near the city of Aswan. Archaeologists have begun excavations near the Aga Khan Mausoleum to better understand the local history. As a result, they found 10 tombs carved in stone with huge stairs. The steps led to another cell, where sarcophagi with mummies were in good condition. Scientists have no idea who was buried here, but they suspect that the tombs that were dug between 712 BC. and 332 BC, belong to a previously unknown sector of the nearby West Aswan necropolis.
8. Mongoose on a leash
Recently, a team of archaeologists from the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities decided to survey a 4,000-year-old cemetery in Beni Hasan, built on the east bank of the river. They found something so out of the ordinary that most experts didn't believe them. On one wall was a picture of a man walking with two animals on leashes. One of these animals was fairly easy to recognize as a dog, while the other is supposedly a mongoose. Perhaps the mongoose was used to scare away birds from hiding when hunting. Whatever the reason, this scene is unique to Egyptian art.
9. Revenge
The ruins of Gierakonpolis (Nehena) are located 500 kilometers south of Cairo. This settlement is especially valuable because its inhabitants were the ancestors of the ancient Egyptians. But inside "Tomb 72" an unexpected fact of this pre-pharaonic society was revealed. A teenager was buried in the grave, as well as 20 other people. They were probably sacrificed as none of them showed signs of illness or malnutrition. The remains of dogs, baboons, goats, ostrich and leopard were also found.
Shortly after the burial, someone broke into the tomb. The treasures with which the teenager was buried were not touched, but at the same time they pulled the corpse out of the coffin and burned it. Even the wooden structure that covered the tomb had traces of flame. The presence of valuable heavy goods and similar aggression against the body indicate that the crime was committed for revenge, not for the purpose of robbery.
10. The children who built Amarna
In 2015, archaeologists made another surprise find in Amarna, the capital of the unpopular pharaoh Akhenaten. They exhumed two cemeteries in the city. The first told the expected story - the people who were buried in the Amarna cemetery worked hard, ate poorly, were injured, and often died. The second cemetery was more unexpected - children aged 7 to 15 were buried here, and only a few were about 25 years old.
Some children were even thrown into mass graves. Interestingly, children under the age of 15 had many injuries. About 16 percent had fractures and injuries from doing too much work for them. Their apparent disregard for their health shows that these children were involved in the construction of the city.