Ramesses III cartouche found in Jordan

Archaeologists have discovered an inscription containing the royal cartouche of 20th dynasty Pharaoh Ramesses III (1186–1155 B.C.) in southern Jordan. This is the first inscription of an Egyptian pharaoh’s name ever found in Jordan.

The inscription was discovered southeast of the Wadi Rum Reserve near Jordan’s border with Saudi Arabia. A joint mission of Jordan’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Saudi Heritage Commission is investigating the area as part of an initiative to document any evidence of Ramesses III’s military campaigns in the region.

Ramesses ruled for 32 years, a period of great tumult when cultures around the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East collapsed. The great political and economic powerhouses like Mycenaean Greece and the Hittite Empire, crumbled in violent chaos, causing a precipitous plunge in material comfort. Egypt was greatly weakened in the Late Bronze Age collapse, under constant attack by invaders on sea and land and rent by internal warfare, but Ramesses’ long, steady leadership slowed the decline.

[Egyptian archaeologist Dr. Zahi] Hawass emphasised the importance of the find, explaining that the inscription includes two cartouches bearing the birth name and throne name of Ramses III, a ruler of Egypt’s Twentieth Dynasty. The presence of his name in Jordan suggests far-reaching influence and warrants further investigation, the statement said.

“The discovery is crucial,” Hawass said. “It could open the door to a deeper understanding of Egypt’s interactions with the southern Levant and Arabian Peninsula over 3,000 years ago.”

Research into the find and analysis of the inscription is ongoing and full inscription’s interpretation will be published when the investigation is complete. Egyptian and Jordanian authorities hope to work together in a future excavation of the site to uncover any other material evidence of Ramesses’ activities in the region.

* This article was originally published here