Ancient painting revealed in Egypt beneath layers of bird poop

The restoration of the Temple of Edfu has revealed ancient Egyptian paintings dating back thousands of years. 

The Temple of Edfu is dedicated to the worship of the god Horus, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The temple on the western bank of the Nile was begun during the reign of Ptolemy III and finished under Ptolemy XII, according to the source. It was constructed between 237 and 57 B.C. 

In far more recent years, restoration efforts have been underway at the temple, conducted in a collaboration between Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and Germany’s University of Würzburg. 

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Egyptian temples have long been known to have once been glistening with gold and vivid colors. During the restoration of the Temple of Edfu, remains of ancient artwork have been discovered. 

Reliefs (a type of sculpting in Ancient Egypt) and paintings were cleaned up by a team of conservators under the leadership of Ahmed Abdel Naby, according to the September 2024 press release. 

Dust, bird droppings and soot were carefully removed from sandstone reliefs, where remains of ancient artwork began to peer through. 

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The discovery of these remains is a rare find, as in the majority of ancient Egyptian temples, painting is preserved very minimally or not at all, according to the press release from the University of Würzburg. 

Gold leaf decorations were also found in the temple, another rare find in Egyptian temples, “due to their fragility,” according to the press release. At the Temple of Edfu, most of the gold decorations were discovered in the higher walls of the temple. 

“The gilding of the figures presumably not only served to symbolically immortalize and deify them but also contributed to the mystical aura of the room,” Victoria Altmann-Wendling, the project manager, said in the release. “It must have been very impressive, especially when the sunlight was shining in.”

“The fact that the gods were completely gilded is particularly interesting. We find this in the textual sources that describe the flesh of the gods as consisting of gold,” Altmann-Wendling said, per the press release. 

In addition, there was also dipinti found at the temple, which is graffiti painted in ink, according to the press release. It was written in Demotic script, and serves as “direct testimony of the priest entering the temple.” 

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