Amenhotep III』s tomb excavation finds massive statue

Jack Phillips
Epoch Times Staff

Inside Amenhotep III』s tomb, a large statue of Thoth was discovered last week in Luxor, Egypt.

The statue depicting the Egyptian god of wisdom is 3.5m (11-and-a-half feet) tall, 1.37m (four-and-a-half feet) wide, and is made of red granite.

The statue is one of many new discoveries made in the tomb, when during excavation it was discovered that it was possible control underground water levels on the west bank of Luxor.

Archaeologists led by Dr Zahi Hawass also found a well-preserved stone head of Amenhotep III, which still depicts much of the pharaoh』s face.

The temple was built close to a floodplain near Thebes and two other large statues known as the Colossi of Memmon, which are 60-foot-high depictions of the pharaoh.

Scientists suspect that Amenhotep III, a pharaoh that lived between 1390 BCE and 1352 BCE, was the grandfather of the young king Tutankhamun, or King Tut for short.

The latest finding was discovered during 「routine excavations」 conducted by an Egyptian achaelogical crew. Dr Hawass said more statues would likely be found, according to a statement. Last year, a 5.18m (17 foot) tall statue was found in a nearby location.

Approximately 200 years after its construction, Amenhotep III』s temple collapsed. However, more excavations could yield 「an avenue of Thoth statues that once outlined the original path leading to the temple,」 according to the statement.