Scientists discover sealed 3,300-year-old cave ‘frozen in time’

A team of archaeologists has discovered a sealed cave that dates back 3,300 years to a time during the reign of Ramesses II.

6

VIEW GALLERY – 6 IMAGES

The announcement comes from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), and according to the statement, a team of archaeologists has discovered a cave sealed by ancient Egyptians 3,300 years ago that lived in the now-Israel. During that period of time, Ramesses II, which was commonly known as Ramesses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt and reigned from 1279 B.C to 1213 B.C.

During Ramesses the Great’s reign, Egypt was at its most powerful with a kingdom that stretched from current-day Sudan all the way to Syria. The cave was discovered when a mechanical digger was being used to excavate dirt in the Palmahim Beach National Park when the digger accidentally penetrated the roof of the cave revealing its contents to the workers. The IAA was quickly called, and a mission was formed to descend into the cave.

6

The team of archaeologists discovered dozens of pottery vessels, bowls, chalices, cooking pots, storage jars, lamps, and more. Notably, the team discovered that some of the pottery vessels weren’t manufactured in the surrounding countries and were from elsewhere. Additionally, bronze arrowheads were discovered, and based on the way they were found, it seems they were attached to arrows that decomposed over thousands of years.

6

Eli Yannai, an archaeologist with the IAA, described the find as a “once-in-a-lifetime discovery” and that it’s extremely rare to come across “an Indiana Jones film set” with “a cave floor laid out with vessels untouched for 3,300 years, since the Late Bronze Age, about the time of the powerful King Rameses II.“

6

Since the discovery of the cave, it has been looted, with the IAA stating that it resealed and guarded the cave since its discovery but could not stop the looting. An investigation has been launched into who looted the ancient cave. As for academics, archaeologists are preparing to analyze the cave’s contents and hopefully discover organic remnants perhaps left on the vessels to learn more about what was inside of them, or any human remains to determine if it was a burial site.

6

In other news, Anonymous has claimed it has hacked the Iranian government following nationwide protests erupting across various locations in Iran.