Archaeologists Uncover 3,500 Year Old Town Near Alexandria

A 3,500 year-old town has been discovered in Kom el-Negus, located about 27 miles west of Alexandria, Egypt.

A research team led by Egyptologist Sylvain Dhennin found that the settlement was inhabited across several periods, with key evidence pointing to its origins during Egypt’s New Kingdom. Earlier findings from 2013 had suggested the area was first settled during the Hellenistic period, but new studies, including research published by Cambridge University Press, reveal a much older occupation.

Among the most significant discoveries was the identification of a New Kingdom settlement, marked by a jar cover inscribed with the name of Meritaten, the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, which indicates that the town may have been established during the 18th dynasty.

The team also uncovered advanced drainage systems designed to protect foundations, along with a centrally located temple. It’s speculated that the settlement underwent significant changes during the Hellenistic period with earlier structures from the New Kingdom and previous eras either repurposed or destroyed. However, several elements from these older monuments remained, including a fragment of Seti II’s stele, blocks from a temple dedicated to Ramses II, and pieces of private chapels from the Ramesside period.