Ancient Egyptian Temple Found in Sandstone Quarry

ASWAN, EGYPT—A team of archaeologists led by Maria Nilsson of Sweden’s Lund University has unearthed rock inscriptions and cartouches for Amenhotep III and Ramses II at a 3,300-year-old temple site in the Gebel El Silsila quarry. Beads dating to the 18^th Dynasty, colored plaster, faience, pottery, and a blue-colored scarab were recovered from the temple area. The temple had four visible layers, column bases, and inner and outer walls. The oldest phase of the temple had been built from limestone and “may signify the official changeover from limestone construction to sandstone,” Nilsson told The Cairo Post. For more on Egyptian temples, see "The Cult of Amun."