CAIRO, EGYPT—According to an Ahram Online report, a team of researchers from Egypt’s Ministry of Antiquities has unearthed a red granite bust of Ramesses II on private land in Giza. Mostafa Waziri of the Supreme Council of Antiquities said the pharaoh, who ruled from about 1279 to 1213 B.C., is shown wearing a wig with the “Ka” symbol, which represented power, life force, and spirit, over his head. The statue stands about 3.5 feet tall and nearly two feet wide. Engravings on red granite and limestone blocks that were also excavated at the site show Ramesses II participating in the Heb-Sed ceremony, which celebrated the continued rule of the pharaoh. The researchers suggest the blocks may have been part of a temple dedicated to the creator god Ptah. The sculptures have been moved to the Mit Rahina open air museum for restoration. To read about a monument for one of Ramesses II's chief ministers that overlooked the pharaoh's funerary temple, go to "A Pyramid Fit for a Vizier."
