In early April 2021, renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass claimed that his team had discovered a complete 3,000-year-old city known as Aten, also known as Egypt’s Lost Golden City.
During the month of September 2020, an archaeological team began searching for a funerary temple on the western bank of the Nile River in Egypt. However, what they discovered was significantly more than they had anticipated. In early April 2021, renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass claimed that his team had discovered a complete 3,000-year-old city known as Aten, also known as Egypt’s Lost Golden City.
The discovery of an ancient city that had been lost to the sands of Egypt is being hailed as one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in Egypt since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in the 18th century.
In his report, the Egyptologist said that the find was the greatest ancient city ever unearthed in Egypt.
In accordance with sources, the ancient city dates back to the era of Amenhotep III, who governed Egypt from 1391 to 1353 BC and was considered one of the country’s most powerful pharaohs during his time.
According to Betsy Brian, a professor of Egyptology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, United States, the finding of this ancient city is the second most significant archaeological discovery after the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, which is a reference to this. She went on to say that the city will provide us with a unique opportunity to see what life was like for ancient Egyptians at a period when the empire was at its zenith.
A variety of significant archaeological items, including colored ceramics, jewelry, mud bricks with seals of Amenhotep III, scarab beetle amulets, and scarab beetle amulets, were reportedly discovered during the excavation.
According to reports, the crew started excavating on the west bank of the Nile, near the Valley of the Kings, which is around 500 kilometers south of Cairo’s main airport. In response to this, Hawass said that they observed mud brick formations that arose in all directions within a few weeks of discovering them.
“What they discovered was the site of a big city in excellent preservation, with walls that were nearly completely intact, and chambers that were packed with implements of everyday living,” he said. Following that, various communities have been discovered, including an administrative district, a bakery, and a residential neighborhood, among others.
He further said that more archaeological work was already underway at the site, and that his team anticipates uncovering undiscovered graves containing priceless valuables.