Ancient statue discovered at Giza Pyramids

A statue, almost life-size at 149cm (five feet) tall, was found by maintenance workers north of the smallest of Giza's three main pyramids, the tomb of the fourth dynasty Pharaoh Mycerinus, who ruled in the 26th century BC. The ancient quartzite statue of a seated man was discovered buried close to the surface of the desert.

Picture: REUTERS

While most archaelogic discoveries to do with Egyptian pyramids were made over a century ago, new ones do still occur. A newly discovered statue made from quartzite stone was found buried 40cm deep in the sand in February 2009.

The man was wearing a shoulder-length wig and was seated in a simple chair, his right hand clenched on his knee and holding an object. His left hand was resting on his thigh.

The culture ministry said the statue had a number of cracks in a shoulder, its chest and base, and some facial features had been worn away. The head of the statue was only about 40 cm (16 inches) below ground level.

The statue bore no inscriptions, making it hard to identify, though the style suggested it might date to the early years of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt, close to Mycerinus's time.

The Giza complex, containing the pyramids and the Sphinx, on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital, is one of the country's most popular tourist sites, attracting millions of visitors every year.

Dr. Zahi Hawas, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities announced that the 149 CM tall statue most likely dates back to the Egyptian old State era (2513-2649 B.C).


The pyramids of Giza lie on the outskirts of Cairo, the capital of Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only remaining monument of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Picture: picture-alliance / Bildagentur H

The Sphinx is located just east of the trio of pyramids.

Many of the pyramids were built in ancient Egypt to contain the mummified remains of pharaohs, other royalty and prominent figures of society.