Discovery of King Senusret III's Cartouche, Rare Aphrodite Statue Head, and Roman Coin Molds in Beni Suef

 The Egyptian archaeological mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities working at the Ihnasya El-Medina site in Beni Suef Governorate, headed by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, Director General of Beni Suef Antiquities, has uncovered a series of significant artifacts. These discoveries shed new light on the religious and civilized importance of the ancient city across the Ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman eras.

The discoveries include a reused stone block featuring a prominent bas-relief of King Senusret III's name, displaying both his coronation and birth names. Alongside it, another cartouche was found bearing the name of the deity "Osiris Naref," one of the primary gods worshipped in Ihnasya during the ancient Egyptian and Ptolemaic periods.

The excavations also revealed extensions of a Roman basilica and the remains of an ancient Doric temple. Furthermore, the team unearthed a rare marble head of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, along with fragments of wall statues and clay molds used for minting Roman coins.

Mr. Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, emphasized that these findings represent a major scientific and archaeological addition, highlighting the profound historical value of the Ihnasya El-Medina region and reflecting the rich cultural diversity Egypt witnessed throughout different eras. He stressed that the Ministry prioritizes all archaeological sites nationwide, as part of its plan to upgrade, develop, and open new locations to enhance and diversify cultural tourism products.

Mr. Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that uncovering a cartouche bearing the name of King Senusret III is highly significant. This Middle Kingdom ruler was closely associated with several major architectural works in Ihnasya El-Medina, confirming the city's sacred status and the immense interest shown by Middle Kingdom monarchs.

El-Leithy added that discovering the extensions of the Roman basilica illustrates the architectural and functional evolution of this style. Basilicas were utilized during the Greek era as public buildings for administrative, commercial, and social gatherings before being transformed during the early Christian era into churches for religious rituals and ecclesiastical meetings.

Mr. Mohamed Abdel-Badei, Head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that preliminary studies of the ancient Doric temple indicate its architectural elements were reused during the sixth century AD. They served as foundations and load-bearing flooring for the basilica's massive pillars. The builders arranged the stone blocks irregularly to form a heavy-duty base capable of supporting pillars weighing up to 45 tons, three of which remain standing in their original positions today.

Regarding the head of Aphrodite, Abdel-Badei highlighted that it is a rare masterpiece. Carved from marble and measuring approximately 24 x 25 cm, the piece displays exquisite craftsmanship, with finely detailed facial features and wavy hair that perfectly reflect the classic artistic traits common in depictions of deities and prominent figures of that era.

Dr. Sami Dardiri, Head of the Central Administration for Central Egypt Antiquities, noted that the discovered wall statue fragments and clay coin molds reflect the city's prominent status, economic prosperity, and continued civilization during the Roman period. He added that the mission is currently continuing scientific dating and analytical studies of all the uncovered artifacts.

Historically, Ihnasya El-Medina is regarded as one of Egypt's most critical archaeological sites. It served as the capital of Egypt during the Ninth and Tenth Dynasties and was the capital of the 20th Nome of Upper Egypt. The city maintained immense strategic and religious significance during the Middle and New Kingdoms, as well as the Third Intermediate Period. It later flourished in the Greek and Roman eras, during which it was famously known as "Herakleopolis Magna" (The City of Great Hercules).

These discoveries come as part of the ongoing efforts by the Supreme Council of Antiquities to unveil more secrets of ancient Egyptian history, bolster field research across various sites, preserve Egypt’s rich cultural heritage, and promote it on a global scale.