Archaeologists recover 3.8-metre limestone fragment completing 7-metre Ramesses II statue buried 96 years at El Ashmunein

Exam-focused facts from the 17 March 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The 3.8-metre limestone fragment was uncovered at El Ashmunein, Minya Governorate, about 150 miles south of Cairo.
The fragment matches the lower half of a colossal seated statue of Ramesses II found in 1930 by German archaeologist Günther Roeder.
The joint 2024 mission was conducted by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the University of Colorado Boulder.
When reassembled the statue will stand roughly 7 metres tall and show Ramesses II wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt topped by a royal cobra.
The find lies within Hermopolis Magna, ancient Khemnu, a major religious centre devoted to the god Thoth.