Researchers from the multi-organizational Egyptian archaeological mission working at Tell Abu Saifi in Qantara East, Ismailia, have unearthed numerous architectural elements and artifacts, including a previously undiscovered inscription, that the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities suggests may link the site to the lost ancient Egyptian city of “Msen.”
“A new archaeological discovery in Tel Abu Saify in Qantara East redefines the map of the ancient Hors Wara road… and strengthens the hypothesis of locating the lost ancient Egyptian city of ‘Msen’,” explained a Facebook post from the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
The team behind the discoveries from the current excavation season said their findings also shed new light on the ancient Horus Military Road and may offer previously unavailable insights into the site’s architectural, religious, and military development throughout history.
Inscription Links Site to Lost Ancient Egyptian City of Msen
According to the Ministry’s post, new excavations revealed a massive mudbrick enclosure wall that had not yet been fully excavated. The full excavation included the enclosure’s gateways, interior rooms, and construction layers from different time periods.
A further analysis determined that the structure was an outer enclosure surrounding an ancient temple. The researchers said this new interpretation contradicts previous interpretations of portions of the ancient site.
Hisham El-Leithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the research team also found intriguing evidence connecting the ancient site with the city of Msen. The most striking connection came from a huge sandstone lintel found broken into two pieces. Along with several references to Pharaoh Ramses II, the stone lintel contained a section of text recording ancient repairs to a statue of Horus, Lord of the City of Msen.
“Dr. Hisham Hussein, head of the Central Administration for the Coast and Sinai and head of the mission, confirmed that the most important findings were a huge upper crust of sandstone broken into two parts, and three-sided carvings of the titles of King Ramses II on three sides, as well as a literary text indicating the restoration work carried out on the statue of the deity “Horus, the lord of the city of Masna,” which is of great importance in studying the identity of the site,” the Facebook post explained.
Other ancient Egyptian texts name an ancient eastern border settlement during the New Kingdom with that name. However, archaeologists have yet to discover its precise location. The researchers said mention of the god Horus supports earlier evidence from the same site linking Tell Abu Saifi to the lost Egyptian city. Still, they caution, research still underway is expected to shed more light on the potential connection.
Additional Findings Include Ancient Roads and Military Items
Along with the main structures, Mohamed Abdel Badie, Head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the excavations revealed a pair of successive stone roads leading from the fortified structure’s exterior into the central temple. The first road was dated to the Ptolemaic period. The newer, narrower road built on top of the older road was attributed to the Roman era.
Hisham Hussein, Head of the Central Administration for Lower Egypt and Sinai and head of the archaeological mission, said the work identified the remains of a second temple with several storage rooms on one side and larger “service” rooms on the other, leading toward the central sanctuary.
Mahmoud Galal, Director General of Sinai Antiquities and Director of the mission, said the team found items of military and administrative significance at the ancient Egyptian site. One noteworthy discovery was described as a 26th Dynasty “schist” statue depicting an army scribe carrying a broken naos. The researchers said this discovery highlights the site’s strategic and military character.
Other items of interest included a Late Period statue missing its head and feet, a royal basalt statue torso, and small fragments of basalt and limestone falcon statues.
The research team said their excavation revealed the site had experienced several phases of development and transformation. For example, the ancient Egyptian site appeared to peak during the Ptolemaic period before being converted in the third century into a military barracks. Roman-era circular kilns containing limestone remains revealed during the latest excavations suggest the site had finished its life as an ancient lime quarry.
Findings “Support the Hypothesis” Connecting Site to Msen
When discussing the significance of the discoveries, including an inscription potentially connecting it to the ancient lost Egyptian city of Menes, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy said the ongoing efforts help document valuable ancient sites in North Sinai and the Qantara region. The minister said this effort also highlights the site’s role in protecting ancient Egypt across several generations.
“The current results confirm that Tel Abu Saif represents one of the main sites along the Horus War Road, revealing the sequence of military, religious, and economic functions at the site, reflecting its strategic importance and its role in protecting Egypt’s eastern borders, as well as its religious status during the Pharaonic, Babylonian, and Roman eras,” the post explained.
Secretary-General El-Leithy echoed the sentiments, highlighting decades of work at the site before the new discoveries. He also said the new data has improved the understanding of previous discoveries of architectural elements made at the same site, including the site’s layout, development, and potential connection to the ancient lost Egyptian city of Msen.
“The head of the mission confirmed that the results obtained by the mission during the current season, in addition to what was previously revealed in previous seasons, support the hypothesis of the connection of Tel Abu Saif to the Pharaonic city of ‘Msen’ mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts and sources during the modern era,” the post concluded.
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and has spent the last six years as Associate News Editor and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him at christopher@thedebrief.org.