Part of a large ancient statue has been uncovered at Tel Faraoun in Egypt’s eastern Nile Delta. The find includes the lower section of a figure—its legs and base—and is thought to represent Ramesses II.
The excavation is being carried out by a team from the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The fragment stands about 2.2 metres high and is estimated to weigh between five and six tonnes. Although parts of it are worn, enough detail remains for researchers to link it to royal sculpture from the New Kingdom period.
Dr Hisham Lithi said the discovery adds to what is known about activity in the eastern Delta, an area that played a role in both political and religious life. He also pointed to the movement of statues between sites, a practice that becomes visible through finds like this.
Early study suggests the statue may not have been made for the place where it was found. Researchers think it could have come from Pi-Ramesses, the royal centre established by Ramesses II. From there, it may have been moved to Tel Faraoun—known in antiquity as “Emet”—and reused within a temple setting.
According to Mohamed Abdel-Badii, who oversees the archaeological sector, the piece may have formed part of a larger sculptural group. Comparable examples from other sites show kings depicted alongside deities, arranged as triads. Whether this fragment belonged to such a group will require further study.
The surface of the statue shows signs of damage, but key features remain visible. These will be examined more closely, along with the type of stone used and any traces of carving techniques, to narrow down its date and origin.
After documentation at the site, the fragment was moved to a storage facility in San El-Hagar. Conservation work is expected to follow, focusing on stabilising the material before any attempt is made to reconstruct or display it.
Finds in this part of the Delta continue to show how monuments were reused over time. Rather than being left in place, statues were sometimes relocated and given new roles in different settings. This pattern appears across several sites in the region.
Recent work nearby has produced other results as well. Last year, archaeologists reported a stone inscription carrying a version of the Kanopus Decree, issued in 238 BC under Ptolemy III Euergetes. The text is known from temple copies and records decisions made by priestly assemblies.
Excavation at Tel Faraoun is ongoing. Researchers expect that further work will clarify how the site was used and how it connected to other centres in the Delta. For now, the statue fragment offers another piece of evidence tied to the long history of Ramesses II and the movement of royal monuments.
Sources : Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
