Sino-Egyptian excavation at temple site finds new facets of ancient civilization, strengthens heritage preservation

As visitors from across the world marvel at the colossal temples at the Karnak Temple Complex in Luxor, Egypt, astounded by the ingenious architectural talent of the ancient Egyptians, a team of archaeologists from China and Egypt are quietly working at a more remote area in the north of the 4,000-year-old complex on the excavation of another important temple — the Temple of Montu.

Excavations began about a century ago, but were later abandoned. The site of the Temple of Montu, which was dedicated to worship of the god of war — one of the most important gods in ancient Egypt — remained deserted for decades, until the arrival of Chinese archaeologists in late 2018.

Over the past seven years, the sustained efforts of the Egyptian-Chinese joint mission for archaeological excavation in the Temple of Montu have resulted in a number of discoveries, including the excavation of several new shrines and a site of human settlement. The team also found a huge enclosure wall built with mud bricks with the stamp of Amenhotep III, which proved that the temple was built during the reign of the pharaoh, dating back to the 14th century BC.

In addition, a unique underground facility was discovered earlier this year, and the archaeological team is trying to determine whether it was used as a water source to purify offerings during religious ceremonies in the temple.

The archaeologists believe that parts of Egyptian history and ancient civilization may need to be reassessed, as their continued exploration is expected to result in new discoveries over the coming years.

Saada Bakhid, a member of the joint mission and an archaeology official in Luxor, said that some significant discoveries have already been made at the temple over the past few years.

After the completion of the excavation of the enclosed Temple of Montu site, archaeological excavation will extend to surrounding areas, including neighboring villages, which belonged to the temple in ancient times, to get more information about the history of these areas, he said.

“We are interested to know everything. We expect to get the whole information about the buildings, the people living here, and priests working inside the temple, and the community around the temple, and how the ancient Egyptian people lived their lives,” Bakhid said.

Luxor, known as Thebes in ancient Egypt, is dubbed the “world’s greatest open-air museum”, and has one of the world’s oldest civilizations with cultural heritage such as the Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, dating back more than 3,000 years.

While visiting Luxor in January 2016, President Xi Jinping said that its cultural heritage is the embodiment of ancient Egyptian civilization, and he called for intensified exchanges and mutual learning between the two great civilizations of China and Egypt.

On Jan 21, 2016, President Xi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi attended the opening ceremony of the 2016 Chinese-Egyptian Culture Year at the square of the Luxor Temple.

Xi visited the temple and said that as two ancient countries with rich civilizations, China and Egypt should intensify people-to-people exchanges and deepen friendship between the two peoples for common development and prosperity.

On different occasions, Xi has emphasized the important role of archaeology in promoting people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between different countries. In March 2023, the president proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, which entails respecting the diversity of civilizations and promoting exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations.

Following Xi’s 2016 visit, a cooperation agreement was signed in October 2018 between the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to jointly excavate the Temple of Montu site in Luxor.

This was the first time that Chinese archaeologists have participated in an archaeological excavation in Egypt, according to Jia Xiaobing, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and head of the Chinese team in the joint mission.

The joint archaeological team chose the Karnak Temple Complex as the site for excavation because it was one of the most important religious centers in ancient Egypt, and archaeological excavation at the Temple of Montu, a core area of the complex, can help people have a better understanding of Egyptian civilization and history, Jia said.

“Both China and Egypt have long histories of over 5,000 years, and the two countries have great potential for cooperation in archaeology to explore the origins of human civilization and the protection of cultural relics,” he said.

“Human civilization is not singular; it is a garden with diverse flowers,” he said. “Through such joint missions, we not only get a better idea of other civilizations but also contribute to improved understanding of our own civilization.”

Discoveries by the joint mission over the past seven years at the site have enriched the understanding of ancient Egyptian civilization, Jia said.

Gao Wei, a member of the joint team and an archaeologist from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Chinese technology and equipment have contributed to the success of the joint excavation.

For instance, using special equipment, the team was able to survey the whole area of the excavation site accurately and rebuild the Temple of Montu digitally to lay the basis for further research and improved protection of the temple.

Khaled Helmy, supervisor of the Karnak antiquities area, applauded the Chinese team’s contribution to the excavation of the Temple of Montu.

“Finally we have the Chinese working with us,” he said, adding that previously most of the archaeologists working in Egypt were from European countries such as France and Spain. “It is interesting, because in my entire life I had never seen a Chinese archaeologist working here in Egypt until the arrival of this team.”

“I think this is very beautiful work here. The Chinese are good at technology and they share with us their experience, and the nice combination makes the joint team a very powerful team,” Helmy added.

Gao said the biggest impression for him while working in the team is that the joint mission has greatly improved mutual understanding between archaeologists from the two countries.

“Working here, it is amazing to see the two countries, thousands of miles apart, had created equally marvelous civilizations in ancient times,” he said.

“Archaeologists not only restore ancient civilizations, they are also like a bridge to promote understanding and appreciation between different civilizations.”

Following the joint archaeology team, more Chinese organizations have expressed interest in cooperation with Egypt in archaeology, said Abdelghaffar Wagdy, director-general of Luxor Antiquities.

Some organizations, such as the Shanghai Museum, have approached him and they may start various cooperation projects such as joint excavation and documentation and restoration of monuments in Luxor and other parts of Egypt, he said.

In a milestone move in cultural exchanges between China and Egypt, more than 780 artifacts sourced from seven renowned Egyptian museums made their debut in July last year at the Shanghai Museum. Hailed as the largest exhibition of ancient Egyptian artifacts ever held outside their native country, more than 95 percent of these artifacts were being displayed in Asia for the first time.

In addition to Egypt, Chinese archaeologists have been more actively engaged in recent years with various cooperation projects in some other countries, such as India, Pakistan, Romania, and Uzbekistan, said Jia, head of the Chinese team, adding that he expects intensified cooperation in archaeology between China and other countries.

“With the improving strength of archaeology in China, we will make further steps in international cooperation in the future, so Chinese scholars will make a bigger contribution to the research and interpretation of civilizations of the whole world.”

Contact the writer at wangxiaodong@chinadaily.com.cn