CAIRO: A set of ancient Egyptian jars, skeletons and burials have been unearthed under the foundation of Edfu Temple north of Aswan, Antiquities Ministry said in a statement Sunday.
“The discovery was accidentally made during the restoration work of the temple’s foundation which involves reducing its groundwater level,” Antiquities Minister Mamdouh al-Damaty said in the statement.
According to Damaty, the jars date back to ancient Egyptian history eras of Old Kingdom (2680B.C.-2180B.C.) and the Late Period (665B.C.-330B.C.)
“A significant number of burials, human bones and an Old Kingdom copper mirror are among the finds,”
Dedicated to the ancient Egyptian protection God Horus, Edfu Temple is located 90 kilometers north of Aswan and dates back to the Greco-Roman era (330 B.C.-395A.D).
In January 2012, the Antiquities Ministry along with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a new groundwater lowering project at the temple.
“The project aims to establish a drainage system to lower the groundwater level that threatens antiquities in the Edfu Temple and will be carried out over approximately 20 months,” according to a statement by the U.S. embassy in Egypt.
In 2010, a five million EGP ($750,000) project to restore Edfu Temple was completed. The project involves opening a new entrance, restoring the carvings on it walls as well as installing a new lighting system.