28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Lost Egyptian City Unveils Ancient Tower Houses: A Glimpse into Early Urban Innovation

A recent archaeological excavation in Egypt’s Nile Delta has uncovered the remains of a long-lost city featuring rare and substantial tower houses—multistory mudbrick structures that reveal sophisticated urban development strategies during the Late and Ptolemaic periods.

These ruins offer invaluable clues into how ancient Egyptians adapted to rapid population growth and complex city life over 2,000 years ago.

The city, known in ancient times as Imet or Buto, was uncovered near modern-day Tell el-Fara’in, around 10 kilometers south of the famous site of Tanis.

A joint excavation led by the University of Manchester and the University of Sadat City used advanced satellite imagery and remote sensing to identify and uncover key parts of the site, including a network of multistory tower houses.

Tower Houses: Solutions for an Expanding Population

At the heart of the discovery are the tower houses—robust, multilevel structures designed to house a growing population in an increasingly urbanized Nile Delta. Constructed from ancient mudbricks and supported by thick foundation walls, these buildings reflect a sophisticated approach to urban density and architectural engineering rarely seen in other parts of Egypt.

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the long-lost Egyptian city of Imet. Revealing the foundations of 2,500-year-old multi-storey 'tower houses' and temple structures. Credit: University of Manchester
Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of the long-lost Egyptian city of Imet. Revealing the foundations of 2,500-year-old multi-storey ‘tower houses’ and temple structures. Credit: University of Manchester

“These tower houses are mainly found in the Nile Delta between the Late Period and the Roman era, and they are rare elsewhere in Egypt,” explained Dr. Nicky Nielsen of the University of Manchester, who directed the excavation. “Their presence shows that Imet was not only a densely built city but also one with a complex urban infrastructure.”

The discovery underscores how ancient Egyptians responded to space constraints and rising population levels with vertical housing solutions—an approach that mirrors modern urban strategies today.

A Thriving Economic and Religious Hub

Imet was more than just a residential center. The excavation also uncovered granaries, animal pens, and a ceremonial road that once connected to the temple of Wadjet, the city’s patron goddess. These findings point to a bustling local economy and vibrant religious activity.

One of the major structures identified was a large building with a limestone-plastered floor and massive pillars dating back to the mid-Ptolemaic Period. This building was constructed across the ceremonial route to the temple, which suggests significant changes in urban planning and possibly religious practice over time.

“The processional road had fallen out of use by the mid-Ptolemaic era,” said Nielsen, “which may indicate shifts in religious customs and temple significance during that period.”

Archaeologists found a glazed ceramic funerary figurine called an ushabti.  Credit: University of Manchester
Archaeologists found a glazed ceramic funerary figurine called an ushabti. Credit: University of Manchester

Artifacts from Everyday Life

The excavation yielded several artifacts that offer a window into the daily lives and spiritual practices of the city’s former inhabitants. Among the most notable discoveries was a copper sistrum, a ceremonial rattle associated with the goddess Hathor, found lying outside a collapsed tower house. Researchers believe it fell from one of the upper floors during the building’s abandonment.

Other significant artifacts included a green faience ushabti, a funerary figurine dating from between 664 and 525 BC, and a carved stone slab depicting the child god Harpocrates, surrounded by protective symbols.

“These finds add important context to our understanding of how people lived, worshipped, and built their communities in ancient Egypt,” said Nielsen. “They remind us that archaeology isn’t just about monumental temples—it’s also about everyday life.”

These stela are carved with images of the god Harpocrates and protective imagery and likely date back to around the fourth century BC. Credit: University of Manchester
These stela are carved with images of the god Harpocrates and protective imagery and likely date back to around the fourth century BC. Credit: University of Manchester

A New Focus for Delta Archaeology

For decades, Egyptian archaeology has focused on temples, tombs, and the afterlife. However, the discovery of tower houses at Imet is helping shift attention to settlement archaeology and domestic architecture.

“This site is becoming one of the most important for understanding urban life in the Nile Delta during the Late Period,” said the University of Manchester in a statement. “The presence of multistory tower houses reveals a city designed for growth, efficiency, and spiritual integration.”

As excavation continues, researchers hope to uncover even more evidence of how these vertical structures contributed to the city’s resilience, functionality, and cultural identity.

The discovery of Imet’s tower houses is not only rewriting what we know about ancient Egyptian city life but also offering timeless lessons about how humans adapt to growing urban landscapes—then and now.

Nielsen, N., Hussein, H., Nikolova, D. T., Tichindelean, M., & Thomsen, K. (2025). Preliminary Report on the 2024 Autumn Season of the Tell Nabasha Project. Ägypten und Levante, 34, 67-82. https://doi.org/10.1553/AEundL34s69

Cover Image Credit: University of Manchester

Related Articles

A ‘very rare’ clay figurine of god Mercury and a previously unknown Roman settlement were discovered at the excavation site in Kent

23 February 2024

23 February 2024

At a previously unknown Roman settlement that was formerly next to a busy port but is now 10 miles from...

Researchers reveal the 4,500-year-old network of funerary avenues in Arabian Peninsula

15 January 2022

15 January 2022

Archaeologists from the University of Western Australia (UWA) have determined that people living in ancient northwest Arabia built long-distance “funerary...

Unusual construction material may be linked to the Tower of Babel

5 November 2021

5 November 2021

Archaeologists have recently discovered bitumen and mortar plastered onto a brick dating back to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II. This...

Evidence of a Roman shrine dating back was discovered during dig at Leicester Cathedral

7 March 2023

7 March 2023

Excavations by the University of Leicester archaeologists for have uncovered evidence that the site of Leicester Cathedral has been used...

10,000-year-old Sculptures and Figurines holding Phallus of the Taş Tepeler in the southeast Turkey

17 June 2022

17 June 2022

One of the common features of male depictions with similar features found in the region called Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills),...

The earliest Buddha statues in China found in northwestern Shaanxi

10 December 2021

10 December 2021

The two copper-tin-lead alloy Buddha statues discovered in northwestern Shaanxi Province became the earliest Buddha statues of this kind unearthed...

Israeli Archaeologists discover two shipwrecks filled with treasure

22 December 2021

22 December 2021

Israeli archaeologists have been discovered ancient artifacts and treasures amid the wrecks of two ships on the seafloor off the...

“Last Rhodes shipwreck” of Roman period found in Turkey’s Fethiye

5 March 2022

5 March 2022

Turkish researchers, a Rhodes shipwreck from the third century A.D. was discovered in the depths of the Gulf of Fethiye...

Megalithic structure found in Kazakhstan was probably a place of worship for miners in the Bronze Age

2 September 2024

2 September 2024

Archaeologists investigating a megalithic monument in the Burabay district of the Akmola region of Kazakhstan have revealed that the monument...

Archaeologists Discovered Remarkably Preserved Shrines inside the Assyrian Temple of Ninurta, in Nimrud

29 December 2024

29 December 2024

Recent archaeological work in Nimrud, led by the Penn Museum in collaboration with Iraqi archaeologists, has uncovered two remarkably well-preserved...

Paleontologists Unearth Dozens of Giant Dinosaur Eggs in Fossilized Nest in Spain

15 November 2021

15 November 2021

Spain was the scene of a new paleontological discovery. Paleontologists extracted 30 Titanosaurus dinosaur eggs from a two-ton rock in...

2.3-meter sword found in 4th-century tomb in Japan

27 January 2023

27 January 2023

The largest bronze mirror and the largest “dako” iron sword in Japan were discovered at the Tomio Maruyama burial mound...

Tomb of an Urartian buried with his dog, cattle, sheep, and 4 horses unearthed

6 September 2021

6 September 2021

In ancient times, the dead were buried with their living and non-living things. The offerings placed as dead gifts varied...

Complex Of Early Neolithic Monuments Discovered In Herefordshire, England

22 July 2023

22 July 2023

Archaeologists discovered a remarkable complex of early Neolithic monuments while investigating the area around Dorstone Hill in Herefordshire, England. The...

Drought accelerated Hittite Empire’s collapse

9 February 2023

9 February 2023

Researchers have offered new insight into the abrupt collapse of the  Hittite Empire in the Late Bronze Age, with an...