Numerous Statues of Sekhmet, The Lioness Goddess of War, Unearthed in Egypt

Ancient Origins

A team of Egyptian archaeologists excavating the Mortuary Temple of King Amenhotep III in Luxor, a city in southern Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate, have brought to the surface an impressive number of statues of the goddess Sekhmet, daughter of the ancient Egyptian sun god Re.

 The Significance of the Goddess Sekhmet in Ancient Egyptian Religion
The lion-headed goddess Sekhmet, also known as Sakhmet or Sekhet, was a member of the Memphite Triad, thought to be the wife of Ptah and mother of Nefertem. Linked with war and retribution, she was believed to use arrows to kill her enemies with fire, her breath being the hot desert wind as her body took on the glare of the midday sun. She often represented the destructive force of the sun as well. According to the Egyptian legends, she came into being when Hathor was sent to earth by Ra to take vengeance on man. She was the one who slaughtered mankind and drank their blood, only being stopped by trickery. However, being mother of Nefertem, who himself was a healing god, gave her a more protective side that manifested itself in her aspect of goddess of healing and surgery. The priests of Sekhmet were specialists in the field of medicine, arts linked to ritual and magic. They were also trained surgeons of remarkable caliber. According to many historians, this is the main reason King Amenhotep III had so many statues of Sekhmet surrounding him, as he was suffering from many health problems and he hoped the goddess may cure him; a theory that is verified by Mahmoud Afifi, head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Department at the Ministry of Antiquities, who claimed that the many statues of the goddess in the temple of Amenhotep III were possibly intended to protect the ruler from evil and disease.

Wall relief of Sekhmet, Kom Ombo Temple, Egypt (CC by SA 3.0)

The Statues Have a Great Historical and Artistic Value German Egyptologist and the project director Hourig Sourouzian, who also discovered fourteen statues made of black granite portraying the Lionhead goddess Sekhmet back in 2013, told Ahram Online, "They are of great artistic quality". The statues were discovered in four parts, including three busts and one headless torso, in the Kom El-Hettan archaeological area on Luxor's west bank. Sourouzian supervises the excavation of the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project, which aims to save the remains of the three millennia old temple and ultimately reinstall its scattered artefacts to the site, so they can be presented in their authentic design. Sourouzian stated that her team discovered the Sekhmet pieces in great condition, buried in the temple's hypostyle hall—a roofed structure supported by columns.

One of the recently discovered busts of Sekhmet (Ahram Online)

The Statues Are Currently Stored in Warehouses Supervised by the Ministry of Antiquities Mahmoud Afifi told Ahram Online that the Egyptian authorities will do anything it takes to keep the statues of the Goddess safe, “All statues of the goddess are now stored in warehouses supervised by the Ministry of Antiquities for security reasons,” also saying that when excavations at the site are finished and the temple is opened to guests and tourists, the statues will be placed back in their original position.

Adjacent statue of Sekhmet in profile Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (CC by SA 3.0)

In addition to the statues of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet, Sourouzian's team of archeologists have discovered large pieces of sphinxes carved in limestone, as well as a small torso of a deity in black granite, which are in bad state at the moment and they will need to be treated for some time before they are exposed for public view. The exhibit that launches on December 12, will celebrate the 41st anniversary of the Luxor Museum, and will display a rich collection of 40 artifacts discovered by archaeologists on the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project. The artifacts will also include a collection of amulets and Greco-Roman coins among other objects of significant historical value.

Top image: Sekhmet - Kom Ombo, Egypt (Thomas Leplus / flickr)

By Theodoros Karasavvas

Eight More Statues of the Ancient Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet Found in Luxor

Ancient Origins

Eight statues of the goddess Sekhmet have been discovered in the temple of Amenhotep III at Kôm El-Hettan on the west bank of the Nile. The black granite statues were found during excavations which are a part of the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project led by Armenian Egyptologist Hourig Sourouzian.

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According to Ahram Online, the statues show Sekhmet with a with a tripartite wig and a long, tight-fitting dress. The tallest of the newly-discovered statues is 1.9 meters (6.2 ft.) tall. They are 0.5 meters (1.6 ft.) wide and about 1 meter (3.3 ft.) deep.

A statue of Sekhmet in situ. (Egypt Antiquities Ministry)

In ancient Egypt, Sekhmet was a solar deity and a warrior goddess who was very popular, especially during the New Kingdom Period. She was also a goddess of healing for Upper Egypt.
Egypt's Antiquities Ministry says that the statues are grouped in two main categories. The first group contains six statues which show the lion-headed goddess seated on a throne and holding a symbol of life in her right hand. Three of them are almost complete, one is just the upper part, and two others are lower parts.

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The second group contains two middle parts of statues which present the goddess standing – these are headless and without the lower parts. Nonetheless, it is still possible to recognize that the goddess is depicted holding a papyrus scepter in her left hand and a life symbol in her right.

A head and torso of one of the statues. (Egypt Antiquities Ministry)

Near the statues of Sekhmet, the team discovered the middle part of a statue of Amenhotep III wearing a jubilee cloak. It was carved of the same black granite.
The discovered statues are not that unique. During the previous seasons of works by the Colossi of Memnon and Amenhotep III Temple Conservation Project and other groups, many similar statues were discovered. Due to the orders by Amenhotep III, seven hundred statues of Sekhmet were placed on the west bank of the Nile.

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All the statues were surrounding the large peristyle court and the hypostyle hall of the vast temple, and each statue is a typical example of art from the times of the New Kingdom Period. The ones discovered recently will be cleaned, desalinated and documented, then put on display in the temple.
The Temple on Luxor’s west bank was the largest of the mortuary temples in the Theban area at the time of its construction. It covered the area of around 350,000 square meters (376,7369 sq. ft.) and could be the most expensive palace in the history of Egypt.
Amenhotep III is known as sort of the Louis XIV of Ancient Egypt. He was an important builder and founder of many impressive palaces and temples. He ruled in the 13th century BC and was one of the most important kings of the 18th dynasty. He was also the father of Akhenaten and grandfather of Tutankhamun. His reign was a time of prosperity for all the Kingdom.

Colossal granite head of Amenhotep III at the British Museum. (Public Domain)

The German-Armenian team led by Hourig Sourouzian made several important discoveries during the last few excavation seasons. In 2014, archaeologists unearthed two colossal statues of Amenhotep III - another two examples of the so-called Colossi of Memnon. The statues are similar to two other 3,400-year-old colossi twin statues of Amenhotep III, both of which present the pharaoh seated.
“The world until now knew two Memnon colossi, but from today it will know four colossi of Amenhotep III,” Hourig Sourouzian commented on her success to AFP.

Pharaoh Amenhotep III's Sitting Colossi of Memnon statues at Luxor, Egypt. (Than217/ CC BY 3.0)

The restored statues are 11.5 meters tall (37.7 ft.), 3.6 meters (11.8 ft.) wide, and weigh 250 tons. The archeologists told AFP that the original statues would have reached a height of 13.5 meters (44.3 ft.), but they are missing a double crown, which would have decorated the top of the pharaoh’s head in the past. The statues depict Amenhotep III wearing a royal pleated kilt that is held at the waist by a large belt.
Excavations in the Temple will continue.
Featured Image: Two of the statues of the goddess Sekhmet. Source: Egypt Antiquities Ministry
By Natalia Klimczak