A small statue of a woman wearing a royal crown may depict Queen Cleopatra VII, an archaeologist has stated.
The small statue was discovered beneath the wall of a temple at the site of an ancient Egyptian city.
This white marble statue depicts a woman adorned with a royal crown.
The bust shows a woman wearing a crown, potentially representing Queen Cleopatra VII. (Photo: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
Archaeologists excavating the site believe that the statue may depict Cleopatra VII, the Egyptian queen known for her relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
Cleopatra VII (reigned from 69 to 30 BC) was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which began when Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great’s generals, took control of ancient Egypt in 305 BC.
However, other archaeologists doubt that this bust represents Cleopatra VII and suggest it could symbolize a princess or another royal woman. Zahi Hawass, former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, who was not involved in this discovery but has excavated at the site in the past, stated that he believes the bust dates from after Cleopatra’s time.
“I have examined the bust carefully. It is definitely not Cleopatra,” Hawass said. During the Ptolemaic period, pharaohs were depicted in the Egyptian artistic style, not in the Roman style. The Roman period in Egypt began in 30 BC, following Cleopatra’s death. Her tomb has never been found.
Archaeologists also unearthed 337 coins, many of which feature Cleopatra VII, near the busts. Additionally, they discovered various other artifacts, such as oil lamps; a bronze ring dedicated to Hathor, a sky goddess associated with fertility and love; and an amulet inscribed with the phrase “The justice of Ra has appeared” (Ra being the sun god).
Martinez and her team have been working at this site for over a decade, excavating the remains of temples, tombs, and a vast tunnel beneath a temple. Previously, she suggested that Taposiris Magna may contain Cleopatra VII’s tomb, but this idea has not garnered much support from other archaeologists.
