11 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

In Egypt, archaeologists have discovered a 4,500-year-old Sun temple.

Archaeologists discovered an ancient Sun temple in the Egyptian desert that dates back 4,500 years.

The remains were discovered under another temple at Abu Gurob, 20 kilometers south of Cairo. Ancient remains are believed to be one of six sun temples built some 4,500 years ago. Only two of these temples have been found to date.

Mission co-director Massimiliano Nuzzolo, an assistant professor of Egyptology at the Polish Academy of Sciences’ Institute for the Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures in Warsaw, told CNN on Monday ancient remains appeared to be from the mid-25th century BCE.

Nuzzolosaid it had been partially uncovered in 1898 before but mistakenly identified as part of an existing temple.

“The archaeologists of the 19th century excavated only a very small part of this mud bricks building below the stone temple of Nyuserra and concluded that this was a previous building phase of the same temple,” Nuzzolo wrote in an email.

“Now our finds demonstrate that this was a completely different building, erected before Nyuserra,” he said.

Archaeologists digging at the site in 1898 uncovered the sun temple of Nyuserra, also known as Neuserre or Nyuserre, the sixth king of Egypt’s 5th dynasty who reigned between 2400 and 2370 BCE.

The team says the temple was built using mud bricks with some stone elements.
The team says the temple was built using mud bricks with some stone elements. Photo: M. Nuzzolo

The dig reveals that underneath the sun temple of Nyuserra, the sixth king of the 5th dynasty in Egypt was another sun temple.

Nuzzolo and his team uncovered seals etched with the names of previous monarchs, as well as the foundations for limestone columns and a threshold. Dozens of preserved beer jars filled with a form of mud used in religious rites were also discovered.

The temple was “impressive in size,” according to Nuzzolo but due to being built out of mud bricks rather than the typical stone, it was easily destroyed when a new king wished to build his own temple on top.

Among the findings were dozens of beer jars. Photo: M. Osman
Among the findings were dozens of beer jars. Photo: M. Osman

The temples were constructed while the Fifth Dynasty pharaohs were still living, with the intention of elevating them to the position of deity. Pyramids, on the other hand, were constructed as the last resting places to ensure that pharaohs were resurrected as gods in the afterlife.

Since this recent find was made out of mud brick, it’s possible the remaining temples were also made from this perishable material and could be difficult to find.

The dig was conducted together by the Polish Academy of Sciences and the University of Naples L’Orientale.

Related Articles

6,000-year-old Finds in Dorset Downs

11 June 2021

11 June 2021

In the Dorset Downs, a significant landscaping project has revealed a plethora of intriguing findings on a grand scale. Excavations...

First Major Iron Age Cemetery Discovered in the UAE: A 3,000-Year-Old Burial Site in Al Ain Region

22 April 2025

22 April 2025

A groundbreaking archaeological discovery has emerged from the Al Ain Region of the United Arab Emirates, revealing a 3,000-year-old necropolis...

Hidden Gods of Kurul Castle: Dionysus and Pan Figurines Capture Spotlight as Dig Resumes

10 July 2025

10 July 2025

Excavations are set to resume next week at the ancient Kurul Castle in Ordu, the first scientifically excavated archaeological site...

Albastı “A Mother’s Nightmare “

5 February 2021

5 February 2021

Albastı is one of the bad characters in Turkish mythology. The fearful dream of puerperal women and babies, Albastı continues...

Ancient reliefs become target of treasure hunters

7 January 2024

7 January 2024

An academic has cautioned that urgent protection is required for the historic Adamkayalar (Men of Rock) reliefs in the southern...

12 tombs with Beautiful Decorations and Carved Bricks from the period of Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, found in China

22 May 2023

22 May 2023

China has a rich history. In addition to the fossil records from the Paleolithic Period, the country has witnessed the...

A cobbled ford uncovered near Evesham could be the finest Roman example of its type in Britain

19 October 2022

19 October 2022

A cobbled ford believed to be of Roman construction has been discovered near Evesham in Worcestershire, England. If the path...

2000-Year-Old Roman Origins Confirmed for Elche’s Monumental L’Assut de l’Argamassa Dam

17 May 2025

17 May 2025

An archaeological research project has unveiled that the imposing L’Assut de l’Argamassa dam in Elche, Spain, long suspected to be...

Saudi shipwreck excavation reveals hundreds of 18th-century artifacts on sunken ship in the north Red Sea

25 February 2022

25 February 2022

Divers from Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Authority have discovered a shipwreck in the Red Sea from the 18th century filled with...

Birkleyn Caves is “the Place Where The World Ends”

18 January 2025

18 January 2025

The Birkleyn Caves were known as “the place where the world ends” and as “the place where the water of...

Artvin Demirkapı/Arılı rock paintings give information about Anatolian Bronze Age Nomadic

14 December 2021

14 December 2021

Rock paintings are material cultural assets that provide us with unique information about the socio-cultural structure, religious beliefs, and rituals,...

Refurbishment at the Uffizi Gallery Revealed a Pair of Priceless Lost Renaissance Frescoes

24 April 2021

24 April 2021

A couple of construction workers discovered two Renaissance-era treasures while working on an extensive renovation project at Florence’s world-famous Uffizi...

Ancient city site unearthed in Central China produces fortune-telling relics

8 February 2024

8 February 2024

Bone slips used for “fortune-telling activities” and “ancient sacrificial ceremonies” were unearthed during excavations at an archaeological site in Puyang,...

Inscriptions That Could Change the History of Turkish Migration to Anatolia Are Disappearing: Esatlı Kaya Inscriptions

30 March 2025

30 March 2025

Researchers made a significant discovery during field research conducted in 1994 in Esatlı village, Mesudiye, Ordu. They introduced a series...

Iron Age Children’s a Unique Funerary Building Discovered in Oman

3 March 2024

3 March 2024

Archaeologists have uncovered a unique Iron Age children’s funerary building at the Manaqi archaeological site in Rustaq, South Al Batinah...