Egypt: discovered the remains of the colonnaded hall of the temple of Buto
The Egyptian Archaeological team during an excavation at Tel Al-Farayeen, Kafr El-Sheikh, in the northern delta of the Nile discovered the remains of a colonnaded hall of the Buto temple dedicated to the goddess Wadjet and dating back to the 26th dynasty.
Of the room only three aligned columns remain, probably with papyriform capitals according to the reconstructions hypothesized by archaeologists. Furthermore, ceramic vases used during religious rites were also found, together with stone carvings depicting scenes typical of the Saita period.
In addition a beautiful limestone carving of a bird-headed deity, wearing a white crown surrounded by feathers, perhaps to be identified with Nekhpet or Mut was also found.
This is a very important finding
said Dr. Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities
It shows an important part of the temple, which sheds light on the original plan and architectural design of the surrounding area which extends for 11 hectares
Indeed, the area was surrounded by a huge mud brick wall built during the New Kingdom which was then raised during the 26th Dynasty. Inside the surrounding wall, in addition to the temple, there was also a small limestone sanctuary and a series of ceramic vases.
In previous excavation campaigns, the team had already identified a stone building with tools used in religious rituals, as well as a series of ivory engravings inlaid with gold and accompanied by hieroglyphic text. Dr. Ayman Ashmawi, head of the Ancient Egyptian antiquities sector at the Supreme Council of Antiquities, speculated that the temple was intended to house and preserve small statues sacrificed to the goddess Wadjet; however, future excavation campaigns will offer new information.
