WORLD
Ancient administrative center discovered in Egypt`s Kom Ombo
Cairo, March 15, AZERTAC
A joint Egyptian-Austrian archaeological mission working at the Temple of Kom Ombo in Aswan unveiled the discovery on March 2 of an administrative center dating back to the First Transitional Period from 2180 to 2050 B.C., raising questions about when the temple was originally established, according to Al-monitor.
In a press statement, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mustafa Waziri said, “During its work in the northeastern side of the temple, the mission found more than 20 conical silos, which are likely to have served as an administrative facility that was used to store and distribute grains during the First Transitional Period from 2180 to 2050 B.C.”
He described the discovery as “important and unique in the area, as it indicates the importance of the city of Kom Ombo during the First Transitional Period, which enjoyed distinctive agricultural and commercial activity and was inhabited by a large number of residents.” Abdel Moneim Saeed, director-general of Aswan and Nuba Antiquities, told Al-Monitor that the architectural features of the silos, including the vaults, stairs and storage rooms, remain in good condition. He said the silo walls are 2 meters (6 feet) high, with other facilities rising even higher. “Rat bones and excrements were found inside one of the vaults, which indicates that the storage rooms were infested with insects,” he said.
Saeed added, “This archaeological discovery is unique and of great significance, because it changes the entire history of the Temple of Kom Ombo, which we believed was a Ptolemaic temple dating back to 181 B.C. Two years ago, new evidence emerged suggesting that it is much older than this.”