The Egyptian archaeological mission stumbled upon a sandstone statue of a Sphinx during excavation work that was being carried out at the Kom Ombo temple in Aswan to reduce the ground water level.

Mostafa Waziri, general secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told Ahram Online that the discovered statue likely dates to the Ptolemaic era as it was found in the south-eastern side of Kom Ombo temple, the same location where two sandstone reliefs of King Ptolemy V were previously uncovered 2 months ago.

the sphinx upon discovery

The sphinx

Abdel Moneim Saeed, general director of the Aswan and Nubia antiquities council said that the mission will conduct more archaeological studies on the Sphinx to discover more information about its history and the king it belongs to.

The previously discovered reliefs of King Ptolemy V were engraved in sandstone and inscribed with hieroglyphic and demotic writings, and upon their discovery, were transferred to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat for conservation and display inside the museum.