Archaeologists recently uncovered multistory buildings from a lost Egyptian city in the Nile Delta, fostering new insights into urban life in antiquity.
The ruins of the city – known in ancient times as Imet or Buto – are located at the site now called Tell el-Fara’in. The University of Manchester announced the discovery in a June 24 press release.
Multiple excavations have taken place at the site in past decades, but the latest dig by British archaeologists revealed the presence of multiple multistory structures.
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The elevated dwellings were found thanks to a combination of remote sensing and satellite imagery technology, said the University of Manchester. The British archaeologists were joined by experts from the University of Sadat City in Cairo.
The high-tech methods led researchers to notice clusters of « ancient mudbricks » before the excavation began.
The university reported, « This approach led to the discovery of dense architectural remains, including substantial tower houses – multistory buildings supported by exceptionally thick foundation walls, which were designed to accommodate a growing population in an increasingly urbanized Delta region. »
University of Manchester lecturer Nicky Nielsen helped lead the excavation.
In a statement, he dated the structures to the Ptolemaic Period, which began around 332 B.C. and ended in 30 B.C.
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« These tower houses are mainly found in the Nile Delta between the Late Period and the Roman era, and are rare elsewhere in Egypt, » the Egyptologist said.
« Their presence here shows that Imet was a thriving and densely built city with a complex urban infrastructure. »
Archaeologists also uncovered the remains of granaries, or buildings for storing grain, as well as a ceremonial road tied to the cult of Wadjet, the Ancient Egyptian cobra goddess.
Animal enclosures were also observed during the excavation, as well as a series of additional buildings.
« Elsewhere, excavators found a large building with a limestone plaster floor and massive pillars dating to the mid-Ptolemaic Period, » the University of Manchester noted.
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« This building was built across the processional road, which once connected to the temple of Wadjet – the city’s patron deity, » the statement continued.
« This ceremonial route appears to have fallen out of use by the mid-Ptolemaic period, offering insight into shifting religious landscapes in Ancient Egypt. »
Smaller artifacts were also uncovered by archaeologists. Pictures from the excavation show an ushabti (a small funerary figurine), a stone slab depicting the god Harpocrates and a bronze sistrum, or rattle, of Hathor, the goddess of music and joy.
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The excavation will help advance understanding of « the urban, religious and economic life of this city in the Nile Delta during the 4th century BC, » according to university officials.
« This discovery opens new doors to our understanding of daily life, spirituality and urban planning in the Delta, » the statement concluded.
« Imet is emerging as a key site for rethinking the archaeology of Late Period Egypt. »
Ancient Egypt has captivated archaeologists for centuries, and many finds from the millennia-old civilization are still being discovered today.
In May, several tombs of high-ranking Ancient Egyptian officials were recently uncovered by local archaeologists, dating back to the era of the New Kingdom.
A month earlier, a University of Pennsylvania professor spoke with Fox News Digital about unearthing the tomb of an unknown pharaoh near Abydos.
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Publish date : 2025-07-14 08:00:00
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