Evidence of Egypt’s Great Revolt Uncovered

CAIRO, EGYPT—The Art Newspaper reports that an excavation at Tell Timai in northern Egypt has uncovered evidence of a rebellion mentioned in ancient decrees and texts, including the Rosetta Stone. Known as the Great Revolt, the Egyptian rebellion against Ptolemaic rule took place between 207 and 184 B.C. Jay Silverstein of Nottingham Trent University said that traces of burned buildings, weapons, stones thrown by siege engine, hidden coins, and a broken statue have been found at the site of the ancient city of Thmuis. Unburied bodies were also unearthed: the remains of a young man were found with his legs sticking out of a large kiln, while the body of a man in his 50s is thought to have been left sitting upright after a fight to the death. “We have opened a new door into our understanding of Hellenistic colonialism, indigenous resistance, and the mechanisms of control including the brutality of the Macedonian dynasty’s rule of Egypt,” Silverstein said. For more on archaeological evidence of the Great Revolt, go to "In the Time of the Rosetta Stone."