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Granite statues of fierce lion goddess discovered in Egypt

• The 27 statues were found in the ground at the Colossi of Memnon area
• Sekhmet had the body of a woman and the head of a fierce lioness
• She was one of the goddesses known as Eyes of Ra, the sun god
• Newly found statues are two metres (6.5 feet) high and carved in granite

By Phoebe Weston For Mailonline

Published: 06:27 EST, 5 December 2017 | Updated: 06:36 EST, 5 December 2017

Archaeologists have discovered 27 fragmented statues of the fierce lion-headed goddess Sekhmet in Egypt's southern city of Luxor.

The black granite statues of the goddess, known as the Lady of War, were found in the ground at the Colossi of Memnon area on the city's west bank, which used to be a capital for ancient Egypt. 

Sekhmet had the body of a woman and the head of a fierce lioness, with a headpiece featuring the sun disk.

In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet was a powerful warrior goddess as well as a solar deity, sometimes called the daughter and protector of the sun god Ra. 

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Archaeologists have discovered 27 fragmented statues (pictured) of the lion-headed goddess Sekhmet across the Nile from Egypt's southern city of Luxor

GODDESS SEKHMET

In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet was a powerful warrior goddess as well as a solar deity, sometimes called the daughter and protector of the sun god Ra.

She is typically shown with the head of a lioness and a solar disk on her head.

Sekhmet's name comes from the Ancient Egyptian word 'sekhem' which means 'power or might'and she has also been described as the 'mistress of dread' and 'she who mauls'.

In order to placate her wrath, her priestesses performed a ritual before a different statue of the goddess on each day of the year, perhaps explaining why so many have survived.

It's thought that 700 statues of Sekhmet once stood iat the temple of Amenhotep III, on the west bank of the Nile.

To further pacify Sekhmet, festivals were celebrated at the end of battle, so that the destruction would come to an end.

And in an annual festival of intoxication held at the beginning of the year, the ancient Egyptians danced and played music to soothe the wildness of the goddess and drank great quantities of wine ritually. 

The newly found statues are about two metres (six and a half feet) high and carved in black granite, the antiquities ministry said citing Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.

The statues have the goddess's head 'crowned by a sundisk' while a cobra 'adorns her forehead,' Mr Waziri said.

Some are of Sekhmet 'sitting on the throne, holding the symbol of life in her left hand' while others are of her 'standing and holding the papyrus sceptre,' he added.

Sekhmet's name comes from the Ancient Egyptian word 'sekhem' which means 'power or might' and she has also been described as the 'mistress of dread' and 'she who mauls'.

In order to placate her wrath, her priestesses performed a ritual before a different statue of the goddess on each day of the year, perhaps explaining why so many have survived. 

The excavation began on November 7 and lasted till the end of the month, said Hourig Sourouzian, who led the Egyptian-European mission.

The mission found additional statues at the end of November, bringing the total number to 39, Ms Sourouzian told AFP.

The statues that were found closer to the Earth's surface were in good condition, unlike the others found deeper in the ground, Ms Sourouzian said.

The mission was preparing the discovered statues for display, she said.

The mission has discovered 287 statues of Sekhmet since it began its excavation work in 1998, the ministry said.

In Egyptian mythology, Sekhmet (pictured, stock image) was a powerful warrior goddess as well as a solar deity, sometimes called the daughter and protector of the sun god Ra

The statues of the goddess, known as The Lady of War, were found in the ground at the Colossi of Memnon area on the city's west bank, which used to be a capital for ancient Egypt, the ministry said in a statement

Luxor, a city of half a million people on the banks of the Nile, a former Egyptian capital known as Thebes during ancient times, abounds with temples and tombs built by Egypt's pharaohs.

It's thought that 700 statues of Sekhmet once stood at the temple of Amenhotep III, on the west bank of the Nile.

To further pacify Sekhmet, festivals were celebrated at the end of battle, so that the destruction would come to an end.

And in an annual festival of intoxication held at the beginning of the year, the ancient Egyptians danced and played music to soothe the wildness of the goddess and drank great quantities of wine ritually. 

The newly found statues were about two metres (six and a half feet) high and carved in black granite, the antiquities ministry said citing Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities

The statues that were found closer to the earth's surface were in good condition, unlike the others found deeper in the ground, Ms Sourouzian said

Last year archaeologists from the same mission discovered six statues carved in black granite that also depicted Sekhmet, sometimes shown holding people's lives in her hands.

All the statutes discovered show her wearing a figure-hugging dress and wig.

Three of the Sekhmet statues were almost complete, measuring six feet (1.9 metres) tall, 1.6 feet (half a metre) wide and three feet (one metre) deep, while the others are damaged with only parts remaining.

Archaeologists also recovered two middle portions of statues showing the goddess was standing holding a papyrus sceptre in her left hand and a life symbol in her right.

Last year archaeologists discovered six statues carved in black granite that also depicted Sekhmet in the same area (pictured), sometimes shown holding people's lives in her hands

The black granite statues of the goddess, known as The Lady of War, were found in the ground at the Colossi of Memnon area on the city's west bank, which used to be a capital for ancient Egypt

While the statues are not particularly rare, with similar discovered in the temple of Amenhotep III during the past seasons, they are still impressive.

The Temple of Amenhotep III was the largest of the mortuary temples near Thebes when it was built some 3,300 years ago, covering a staggering 3,767,369 square feet (350,000 square metres).

It's thought the statues surrounded a large peristyle court in and the hypostyle hall of the vast temple.

'Each statue is a masterpiece of sculpture, combining the head of a lion with the body of a woman wearing a tripartite wig and a long tight fitting dress,' the ministry said.  

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