Divers gobsmacked at Ancient Egypt discovery found beneath the River Nile
Divers have discovered a new glimpse into Ancient Egypt hidden underneath the surface of the River Nile.
Humanity is forever looking for more clues as to what life was like in Egypt up to 7,000 BC (more than nine thousand years ago).
Whether it is the Great Pyramid of Giza having more than four sides, or brand-new burial chambers hidden for 3,900 years, it is in an incredible era of human history that, even now, we clearly have a lot more to learn from.
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Now, a new research mission has uncovered more secrets hidden from the modern world.
Dubbed the French Egyptian Archeological Mission, the joint venture was conducted by the Supreme Council of Archaeological and Paul Valerie Montpellier University.
In working together, they have 'uncovered a number of paintings, carvings and miniatures of the kings of Amenhoteb III, Hattmes IV, Basmatic II and Epis, during the work of the photographic archeological survey project', according to Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
"For the first time, under the waters of the Nile in Aswan to study the rock formations between Aswan reservoir and the High Dam, which were discovered in the 1960s during the campaign to save the traces of the Nuba for the construction of the High Dam, that has never been studied before," the ministry added in a statement posted on social media.
Dr Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Antiquities, said that the mission has started its first work in the area around the islands of Fila Al-Al'ali and Konossos near the city of Aswan.
And with these sculptures still in a good condition, the mission was able to fully document the texts found, he added.
In order to document the findings, the latest archaeological scanning, photography, underwater video and photogrammetry has been used, as well as archaeological drawings. A 3D model of what has been found will then, hopefully, be created.
Little has been said as to what exactly was found; it's something expected to be revealed once the findings have officially been documented.
"The mission is currently working on producing 3D models of the discovered carvings and studying them in a preliminary preparation for their scientific publication, which contributes to their protection and preservation, indicating that the archaeological survey work indicates the possibility of the discovery of new carvings and historical information," the ministry explained.
The area in which the findings were discovered had previously been flooded when the Aswan High Dam was built between 1960 and 1970.
Before this, there had been a huge campaign led by UNESCO to record and move as many objects of archaeological importance before the flooding commenced.
This included huge 3,000-year-old statues of Ramses II & Queen Nefertari, which were deconstructed and moved to a nearby hill.
Topics: History, Science, Technology, Viral, World News, Ancient Egypt
Tom Earnshaw