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| The statues of Sekhmet, lioness war goddess, unearthed in Luxor [Credit: Egyptian Ministry of Anitquities Facebook page] |
"This is not the first time statues of the lioness goddess have been unearthed at Kom Al-Hittan," said Sourouzian, adding that the mission previously un-earthed 64 statues of Sekhment in different shapes and sizes.
Minister of antiquities, Mamdouh Eldamaty, told Ahram online that the first bust is 174 cm tall and depicts Sekhmet sitting on the thrown, while the second is 45 cm tall and features the face of the lioness god Sekhmet.
Such a large number highlights the important role of the goddess during the reign of the 18th dynasty king Amenhotep III, father of the monotheistic king Akhnaten, and grandfather of the golden king Tutankhamun.
Sekhmet was believed to be a protective goddess as she was also the goddess of war and destruction. "Some Egyptologists," pointed out Sourouzian, "believe that king Amenhotep constructed a large number of statue goddess Sekhmets in an attempt to cure him of a specific disease that he suffered during his reign." Sekhmet was well known for her supposed ability to cure critical diseases.
Ten years ago, the archaeologists unearthed a large number of statues of Amenhotep III and his wife Queen Tiye, as well as some parts of the temple's walls.
The team aims to produce a virtual reconstruction of the temple using the latest computer programs, she added, saying that this reconstruction would show the original position of every surviving piece within the original temple.
Author: Nevine El-Aref | Source: Ahram Online [February 24, 2015]