Dendera Archaeological Site
دندرة / Tentyris
Egypt · Qena
In brief
The area around the Temple of Hathor is an excavation site that also includes residential quarters and cemeteries. Test trenches have revealed traces of settlement dating back to Naqada II.
What was found?
- 1Walls of the chapel of II. Mentuhotep
The single-piece limestone wall blocks belong to a chapel later reused by Merenptah. They document the history of the reuse of sacred structures at Dendera.
- 2Old Kingdom mastabas
The 4th Dynasty tombs in the Abou Suten area reveal Dendera's early burial grounds. They shed light on a history much older than the site's famous late-period temple.
- 3Child burial B1308
The 4th Dynasty child burial was found intact with its offerings. It provides an opportunity to study the burial arrangement and deposited offerings in their original context.
- 4Roman-period limestone sphinx
Traces of red and yellow paint survive on the face of the sphinx, which wears a nemes headdress. According to researchers, the statue may represent Emperor Claudius.
- 5Stele with hieroglyphic and demotic inscriptions
A Roman-period stone slab bearing hieroglyphic and demotic inscriptions was found beneath the sphinx. It documents the use of two different Egyptian scripts on the same object.
What does it point to?
Dendera's tombs and sacred structures show the site's changing functions in different periods. According to researchers, the Roman-period sphinx exemplifies the use of Egyptian forms of rulership in imperial representation.
What did it teach us?
- They documented that Dendera's history extends far earlier than the existing great temple.
- The intact child burial allowed 4th Dynasty burial practices to be studied in their original context.
- The chapel blocks showed that ancient sacred structures were reused by later rulers.
Latest news / selected archive
In 2023, a limestone sphinx and a stele with Demotic and hieroglyphic inscriptions were found at Dendera.
Record
- Culture
- Ancient Egyptian, Hellenistic and Roman
- First modern dig
- 1898
- Team / historical
- Matthieu Vanpeene; IFAO and CNRS partners
- Coordinates
- 26.1417°, 32.6700°
Sources
Nearby excavations
- Valley of the Kings 45 km
- Karnak Temple Complex 47 km
- Abydos 75 km
- Athribis, Upper Egypt 108 km
- Amarna 243 km
- Dahshur Necropolis 432 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
From beneath the soil: latest discoveries
- 2,600-year-old mudbrick structure identified beneath the city of Buto in Egypt
The walls of a large mudbrick structure identified through satellite and geophysical surveys were confirmed by a trial excavation. According to the researchers, a layer of sand placed beneath the foundations may have helped protect the structure in the waterlogged ground of the Nile Delta.
Heritage Daily ↗ · Excavation notebook - Celtic woman's grave containing jewelry and animal remains found in Germany
A woman's skeleton, heavy bronze anklets, a sapropelite arm ring, and the remains of a lamb or kid were found in the grave in Bavaria. According to the researchers, placing the animal in the grave as a food offering represents an unusual example of Celtic funerary practices in the region.
Arkeofili ↗ - Cupboard containing personal belongings, childhood amulets and coins found in Pompeii
Grooming items, 38 bronze coins and a necklace made up of at least 24 amulets were found in a cupboard in a house in Pompeii that had remained closed since the eruption in AD 79. The preservation of these objects together provides detailed information about everyday life and personal mementos in Roman times.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - Lead seal of a bishop named Stefan found in Croatia
Excavations on the islet of Lukovac uncovered a document seal bearing the name Stefan and the title of bishop in Latin. According to the researchers, the seal, tentatively dated to the 6th–7th centuries, offers rare evidence of early church administration in a region with limited written sources.
Heritage Daily ↗ - Roman-period sarcophagus of a child buried with toys found in Romania
A wheeled toy horse, a rooster-shaped rattle, jewelry and organic remains were recovered from a sealed child’s sarcophagus dating back approximately 1,800 years in the ancient city of Tomis. The preservation of wooden coffin fragments and the shroud also offers a rare opportunity to study child burials in Roman times.
HeritageDaily ↗ - Roman-period grave found in the seating area of the ancient theater in Gölyazı
A tile-covered grave dating to the 1st century AD and containing cremated human remains was uncovered in the theater of Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. Why the burial took place in the theater despite the city having a separate cemetery remains unknown; the find raises new questions about the use of public spaces.
Arkeofili ↗ - Marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions found at Teos
A marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions on reused stone blocks were found around the Temple of Roma and Augustus at Teos. The inscriptions shed light on the city’s political and legal relations, while researchers say the portrait and inscription fragments show that the temple was also connected to the cult of Antinoos.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - New prehistoric settlement identified on the shore of the Dardanelles
A newly published study presented Yaylatepe Höyük, identified during surface surveys in 2024, and its pottery spanning the end of the Late Chalcolithic to the beginning of the Late Bronze Age for the first time. According to the researcher, the settlement, which has a visual connection with Asartepe on the opposite shore, contributes to understanding prehistoric coastal connections along the strait.
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