LONDON: Archeologists in Egypt have discovered a 4,500-year-old temple, according to a report in Metro.
The mud-brick building’s ruins are thought to be one of ancient Egypt's lost “sun temples” from the Fifth Dynasty, 2465 to 2323 B.C.
They were discovered during an Italian-Polish archaeological mission in the Abusir region, south of Cairo, beneath King Niuserre's temple.
On Saturday, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism announced the discovery on Instagram.
“The joint Italian-Polish archaeological mission, working at the temple of King Niuserre in Abu Ghorab, north of Abu Sir, discovered the remains of a mud-brick building below the temple. The discovery hints that the remains might belong to one of the lost four solar temples from the Fifth Dynasty, known only in historical sources but yet to have been found thus far,” it said.
According to the ministry, the pharaoh - the sixth ruler of the Fifth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom period - demolished part of the structure to build his temple.
The team discovered several pots and beer glasses that will aid their research.
Muddy stamps bearing the names of Fifth Dynasty kings were also discovered, and photos shared by the ministry showed the site where archeologists were still working.
The first sun temple dedicated to the god Ra was discovered in the 19th century, so the latest find is significant as it could help scientists’ understanding of ancient Egyptian history.
Only two of Egypt's six or seven such temples have been discovered to date.
