Divers find long-lost statues of Tutankhamun’s grandfather and other Egyptian pharaohs at the bottom of the Nile

Ancient sculptures have been rediscovered showing the faces of Tutankhamun’s grandfather and other ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

Archaeologists found the giant stone slabs on the bottom of the Nile River while searching for artifacts lost in a flood in the city of Aswan in the 1970s.

The slabs contained hieroglyphic inscriptions detailing the achievements of the kings, including those of King Amenhotep III, also known as Amenhotep the Great and ancestor of King Tutankhamun.

During their exploration of the Nile River, archaeologists discovered rock slabs with hieroglyphic inscriptions and carvings of King Tatmas IV, who reigned in the early 14th century BC, and King Amenhotab III, who reigned from 1390 to 1353 BC.

Etchings in the stone also describe King Tuthmosis IV, who ruled in the early 14th century BC and was known for his restoration of the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Team members said they were surprised to see the carvings in such good condition and hope to find more artifacts on future dives.

The ancient artifacts were discovered in the area in 1960, but were lost the following decade during the construction of the Aswan High Dam in Aswan.

Archaeologists were quick to remove them before they disappeared underwater, but many of them could not be recovered in time.

The final dive was intended to search for the lost artifacts, but led the team to remarkably well-preserved images of famous pharaohs that had never been studied before.

“For the first time, we have gone underwater to study the rock formations between the Aswan Reservoir and the Aswan High Dam,” the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said Smithsonian Magazine.

‘Because the site is still in good condition, the mission was able to fully document it.’

King Amenhoteb III, also known as Amenhotep the Great, was depicted on one of the plaques and was known for his expansion of diplomatic relations and the period of peaceful prosperity experienced by the citizens under his rule. Pictured: Funerary mask of King Amenhoteb III

King Apries succeeded his father, Psamtik II, and actively built four Egyptian temples during his reign, but was plagued by military problems after he sent his army to aid Libya against Greek invaders.

The researchers used underwater film and photography techniques to record the discovery.

They also create 3D models of the images using photogrammetry: a process that uses surface measurements of images to create an accurate three-dimensional version.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism did not provide a translation of the hieroglyphs or describe what the engravings looked like.

These finds were thought to have been lost after the Awan Dam was built in the 1960s and 1970s. Archaeologists were in a race against time to save the historic Egyptian artifacts and monuments, including the Temple of Dendur, now on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Their new finds have revived interest in the archaeological significance of the site.

For the first time, a team of Egyptian and French archaeologists has searched for lost treasures, including the carvings of at least five rulers who ruled during the 18th and 26th dynasties.

Dr. Islam Saleem, the Director General of the General Administration of Sunken Archaeology, stressed in a Facebook post after that the team’s initial findings indicate that more engravings remain to be discovered.

The researchers hope the findings will give them greater insight into the rule of the 18th Dynasty, already renowned for its architectural and artistic achievements.

Aswan is an important area in Egypt because of the historical location of the Abu Simbel Temple. This temple features four colossal statues of Pharaoh Ramses II that guard the entrance and are over 20 meters high.

Also located here is the Philae Temple, where the last known hieroglyphic inscription was written in 394 AD.