Two paintings unearthed from Pharaonic era on Red Sea coast

The Polish Center for Mediterranean Archaeology unearthed two pharaonic paintings on the Red Sea coast, the Ministry of Antiquities announced on Sunday.

One of the paintings dates back to the Middle Kingdom (2134-1690 BC), while the second belongs to the Second Intermediate Period (1674-1549 BC). 

The paintings were unearthed as part of the work of a delegation from the polish center, in collaboration with the University of Warsaw at the Queen Bernice port on the Read Sea.

In a press conference on Sunday, Mamdouh al-Damaty, minister of antiquities, said that the delegation had also managed to unearth objects that date back to the Roman age, as well as parts of the facade of the Berenice Temple.

Berenice is an ancient port city, founded by Ptolemy II, which was located west of the Red Sea, 800 kilometers south of the Suez Canal. It was the first to be established as part of the king's quest to deploy expeditions on the eastern side, in search of elephants to be used in wartime.

Damaty said in the press conference, reported by the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper, that the paintings were found as part of the remains of the Berenice Temple, which got mixed up with those from the Roman era, proving the existence of an active sea port until after the Pharaonic era.

The Polish Center for Mediterranean Archeology has a community of archeologists, researchers and conservators and runs a center in Cairo that works closely with the Ministry of Antiquities and the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Several researchers and activists in the fields of antiquities and archaeology have argued that better local research and documentation of discoveries is needed, as well as a participatory approach to on-site excavations that involves local communities.