'House of Life' School Discovered at the Ramesseum in Luxor

Archaeology Magazine ^ | April 7, 2025 | editors / unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

A joint Egyptian-French archaeological mission recently made a series of new discoveries at the mortuary temple of the pharaoh Ramesses II, La Brújula Verde reports. Known as the Ramesseum and the "House of Millions of Years," the complex was erected by Ramesses on the Nile's west bank across from ancient Thebes during the thirteenth century b.c. Among the new findings were a series of tombs dating to the Third Intermediate Period (ca. 1069–525 b.c.). These contained burial chambers, shafts with canopic jars, sarcophagi, and more than 400 funerary figurines. They also located storerooms for jars of honey, olive oil, animal fat, and wine, as well as textile and stone workshops. The most significant discovery was the so-called 'House of Life,' a building attached to the temple, where archaeologists found evidence of a school, including remnants of drawings and school toys and games. This was the first physical evidence of an education center within the Ramesseum and the researchers were able to record its architectural layout in detail. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, the secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized the importance of these discoveries as they shed light on the long and complex history of the temple, and open new horizons to understanding its role in ancient Egypt.

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: 19thdynasty; 26thdynasty; 3ip; catastrophism; diocletian; egypt; godsgravesglyphs; luxor; maximian; mohamedismailkhaled; ramesses; ramsesii; romanempire; sheriffathy; sinai; tellabusaifi

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

Archaeologists Make New Discoveries at Important Sinai Military Site
Archaeology Magazine | May 9, 2025

Ahram Online reports that an Egyptian archaeological mission under the auspices of the Supreme Council of Antiquities made several new discoveries at the site of Tell Abu Saifi in the Sinai Desert. Throughout history, the region was one of Egypt's most strategically important sites as it was essential to protecting its eastern borders. Previous excavations had already revealed two significant military fortresses, one dating to the Ptolemaic period and another to the Roman era. But the team has now uncovered four corners of an ancient structure that may belong to an even older fortification. In addition, archaeologists revealed a massive Ptolemaic-era defensive ditch and Roman soldiers' barracks, which have provided new insight into the daily lives of the troops stationed at the site in the third century a.d. during the reigns of the Roman emperors Diocletian and Maximian. Perhaps most noteworthy was the discovery of a stretch of road measuring 330 feet long and 35 feet wide that was paved with limestone blocks. Although Roman in date, it was built atop an earlier Ptolemaic road. Lining each side of the street were more than 500 circular clay pits, which the researchers believe were used to plant trees that adorned the fortress entrance. "This discovery offers a deeper understanding of the defensive systems established in eastern Egypt and reaffirms Tell Abu Saifi's historical role as both a military and industrial hub across various eras," said Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy.

[SunkenCiv]

[MeanWestTexan]

Wow, I didn’t know Las Vegas had such a rich and long history.

(yes, if you are in Rio Linda, just kidding.)

[ComputerGuy]

Today's new word is canopic.

[SunkenCiv]

One of *those* topics.

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[SunkenCiv]

...I graduated with Linda Rio...

[SunkenCiv]

:^)

[Billthedrill]

Yup. How could a civilization that built millennium-old pyramids construct such a crappy casino is what I want to know.

[MeanWestTexan]

DEI caught on, and it was downhill.

[PIF]

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, aka Zahi Hawass Jr. Staunch defenders of the history of Egypt as set down by Herodotus in 500 BC.

New ideas, anything that contradicts the narrative, & advanced dating techniques are anathema to be rabidly shouted down, and the careers of anyone proposing such preposterous ideas will be destroy.

[MikelTackNailer]

Today's new word is canopic.

"When you open canopic jars..."

"You never know what you're goin' to get."