23 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Egypt Traces Relics of Ramses III to the Arabian Peninsula

Following various findings showing ancient Egyptian King Ramses III had a presence on the Arabian Peninsula, an Egyptian archaeological team is planning to begin an excavation expedition in Saudi Arabia.

The former Egyptian Minister of State for Antiquities and a well-known Egyptologist Zahi Hawass stated in a press statement on May 27 that he was talking to Jasir al-Harbash, CEO of the Heritage Committee of the Saudi Ministry of Culture. The meeting discussed the mechanism needed to start the excavation of the site of King Ramses III, one of the 20th dynasty kings of ancient Egypt, in Saudi Arabia in November.

Hawass noted research showed that King Ramses III had deployed several missions to extract copper from a neighboring country and recorded this on a papyrus from that era. This neighboring country is believed to be Saudi Arabia, he added.

Once the trade route is unveiled, he continued, a lot of information regarding its use during historical eras will be coming our way.

He pointed out that there are many other regions found on the trade route that linked the two countries, and excavations will be carried out in these regions to find new evidence of Egyptian kings who sent missions to Saudi Arabia more than 3,000 years ago. An important group of scarabs found in Saudi Arabia came from Egypt, he said.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Tomb of Ramses III, Chamber D1, left wall.
Tomb of Ramses III, Chamber D1, left wall. Source

The Saudi Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) reported the discovery of the first hieroglyphic inscription in the Arabian Peninsula, dating back to the 12th century B.C., on a rock in the Tayma area of northern Saudi Arabia on Nov. 7, 2010. The inscription has a cartouche (royal signature) of King Ramses III, the final king of Ramesses, who governed Egypt from 1192 and 1160 B.C., confirming the existence of a trading tie between the two kingdoms at the time.

According to the commission, Saudi archaeologists undertook field and desk research that led them to the conclusion that during the era of Pharaoh Ramses III, a direct trade route between the Nile Valley and Tayma in northeastern Saudi Arabia was utilized. This road was used by Egyptian convoys to acquire expensive items in Tayma, which was known for its incense, copper, gold, and silver.

Ali bin Ibrahim al-Ghabban, vice president for Antiquities and Museums at the SCTA, said back then that the discovery of this road will be a turning point as far as studies about the roots of civilizational relations between Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula are concerned.

Ramses III
Ramses III

He anticipated finding additional cartouches of Ramses III or cartouches of other Egyptian rulers on the trade route in Hasma, a sand desert in northern Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk area that stretches over 400 kilometers (248 miles) between Tayma and the Red Sea’s Aqaba Gulf. The location is distinguished by a rocky façade perfect for writing and etching.

Asked about the details of the excavation project in Saudi Arabia, Hawass told Al-Monitor over the phone that this is the first time that an Egyptian mission digs for Pharaonic antiquities in Saudi Arabia, as the missions that were previously deployed there were mainly foreign. He pointed out that the excavations will take place at two sites, one of them near the coast and another near the area where the cartouche belonging to Ramses III was found — the Tayma region.

Asked about his expectations of what the excavation will lead to, Hawass said that there will be no expectations regarding the shape or nature of the antiquities that the mission is looking for before the excavation begins, but the mission is trying to find out more about the existence of a commercial relationship between Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the era of the modern Egyptian state dating back 3,000 years.

The mission, he added, set a period of three months for the excavations before the announcement of any discoveries.

Tayma is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula in general, and includes antiquities dating back more than 85,000 years. It was traditionally a commercial and economic hub and a melting pot for the ancient trade routes.

Source: Al-Monitors

Related Articles

A Mysterious Deity’s Ancient Gold Gift was Discovered at Georgia’s Gonio-Apsaros Roman Fort

25 October 2024

25 October 2024

During excavations at the Roman fortress of Apsaros in Georgia, archaeologists discovered a unique gold votive plaque presented to Jupiter...

The Enigmatic Architecture of Sacsayhuaman: The Sacred Stronghold of Massive Stones and Mysteries

14 March 2025

14 March 2025

Sacsayhuaman Fortress, located just outside Cusco, Peru, is one of the most astonishing archaeological complexes in the world. Initiated by...

Perre Ancient City Set to Revive Its 1,800-Year-Old Grape Mill

26 January 2025

26 January 2025

In Perre, one of the five major cities of the Kingdom of Commagene, ancient production methods will meet today’s technology....

Are There Stone Age Megastructures on the Baltic Sea Floor?

11 June 2025

11 June 2025

The western Baltic Sea may conceal far more prehistoric cultural heritage than previously believed — including monumental underwater structures created...

China’s construction of the first archaeological museum which will house the famous Terracotta Warriors has been completed

19 April 2022

19 April 2022

Construction of the first archaeological museum in China’s northwestern province of Shaanxi, which will house the famous Terracotta Warriors, was...

For the first time in Turkish history, a gold belt buckle depicted the face of a Göktürk Khagan found

19 December 2023

19 December 2023

A social complex (KĂĽlliye) and new artifacts from the Western Gokturk period were discovered in Kazakhstan. Among these items, a...

Artifacts for sale offered at a Dutch auction house returned to Peru

9 July 2021

9 July 2021

The Dutch government announced in a press release today that the artifacts that were put up for sale at an...

Mysterious 1,600-Year-Old Roman-Era Burial Unearthed in DelbrĂĽck-Bentfeld, Germany

15 June 2025

15 June 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered a rare and mysterious Roman-era burial in Delbrück-Bentfeld, Germany, revealing a unique glimpse into the region’s ancient...

Archaeologists Reveal a Hair Style They Think Was Fashion 2000 Years Ago

19 February 2021

19 February 2021

The small 5 cm figurine found during excavations at Wimpole in Cambridgeshire surprised with its details. National Trust archaeologists and...

Ancient Water Pipeline Unearthed on 65-Meter Hill in Tajikistan Reveals Engineering Marvel of the Past

19 August 2025

19 August 2025

Archaeologists in Tajikistan have made a groundbreaking discovery at the Mugtepa settlement in Istaravshan: an ancient water pipeline system, constructed...

3D virtual reconstruction of the Celtic city gate

2 May 2022

2 May 2022

A new 3D virtual reconstruction of the Celtic gate has been made in Staffelberg, in the German state of Bavaria....

After 1,300 years, water to again flow from monumental fountain in the City of Gladiators in Turkey

30 December 2022

30 December 2022

The approximately 2,000-year-old monumental fountain in the ancient city of Kibyra in Golhisar, Burdur in southwestern Turkey will start flowing...

Ukraine says Russian forces stole Scythian treasures from Melitopol Museum

11 May 2022

11 May 2022

Invading Russian troops have stolen items of ancient Scythian gold and other historical and cultural valuables that were stored in...

The Historical Building Next To The Million Stone Will Sell

6 February 2021

6 February 2021

Everyone has heard of the Million Stone, which was built during the Byzantine Empire and accepted as the zero points...

Roman-era Mixers and Millstones Made with Geology in Mind

22 September 2021

22 September 2021

A study on stone tools from an outpost of the Roman Empire has found that for ancient bakers and millers,...