Archaeologists may have found Egypt’s lost city of Masn

Archaeologists may have located the lost city of Masn, an ancient Egyptian settlement referenced in texts dating back over 3,000 years. The discovery was made by an Egyptian team at Tell Abu Seify, situated in Qantara East, near the Suez Canal in the Ismailia governorate. The key evidence consists of an inscription found on a sandstone lintel, which features the royal titles of Ramses II, who reigned for more than six decades in the 13th century BC. This artifact also mentions the restoration of a statue of Horus, referred to as “Lord of the City of Masn.” The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities revealed the find on Saturday. According to Hisham El Leithy, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, the inscription bolsters the link between Tell Abu Seify and Masn, though additional research and excavation are necessary to confirm the identification definitively. The discovery has shifted understanding of the Horus Military Road, a critical path connecting Egypt to Sinai and ancient Canaan. The site’s significance lies in its potential role in the defense and administration of Egypt’s eastern frontier. Masn, often spelled Mesen in scholarly works, was historically linked to the veneration of a local variant of Horus at Egypt’s eastern entrance. Scholars have debated whether Masn was a distinct town near Tjaru, the primary Egyptian stronghold at the beginning of the route through Sinai, or if it was synonymous with Tjaru itself or the name of its Horus temple. These discussions date back to 1887, when stones bearing Ramses II’s name and references to Horus of Mesen were discovered at Tell Abu Seify. In 2013, a study by James Hoffmeier and Stephen Moshier proposed that prior excavations had failed to uncover evidence of habitation from Ramses II’s era, suggesting the stones might have originated from nearby Tell Hebua, now recognized as Tjaru. The latest inscription provides fresh support for the Tell Abu Seify hypothesis. If verified, this would position Masn along the Horus Military Road, offering insights into how Egypt managed its eastern borders and facilitated trade. The findings also alter perceptions of the broader site. Previously considered part of a temple, a substantial mud-brick wall with gateways and chambers is now believed to enclose the entire temple complex, having undergone multiple expansions or modifications over time. Two stone roads were unearthed leading away from the fortified zone toward the temple. One, constructed during the Ptolemaic period under Greek rule, predates the other, which was laid atop it following Egypt’s Roman governance. Inside the complex, archaeologists identified northern storage rooms, southern service areas, and remnants of the sanctuary, the most sacred section of the temple. The sanctuary suffered damage when stones were repurposed for other uses. Among the artifacts recovered are a partial statue of a military official holding a small shrine, estimated to be over 2,500 years old, and another statue with missing head and feet, the basalt torso of a king, and fragments of falcon statues crafted from basalt and limestone. The temple thrived under Ptolemaic rule, but by the third century AD, sections of the complex were transformed into Roman military barracks. Later, the site was utilized for producing lime for construction and plaster, with two large circular kilns built over parts of the former sanctuary. Excavations will proceed in upcoming seasons as researchers aim to gather more evidence to verify whether Tell Abu Seify indeed corresponds to Masn.