CAIRO: A statue of what appears to be King Tut's grandfather was uncovered in Luxor, Egypt, the country's Supreme Council of Antiquities said in a statement on Saturday. According to the top Egyptian archaeologist, the upper half of the limestone statue appears to be in the likeness of the famous king's grandfather. Egyptologists had been excavating a large temple on Luxor's West Bank when they unearthed the statue of Amenhotep III, the SCA said. “The statue is one of the best new finds in the area because of its expert craftsmanship,” said SCA Secretary General Zahi Hawass in the statement. The statue is 4 feet 3 inches tall and 3 feet 1 inch wide and depicts the Pharaoh seated on a throne, accompanied by the Theban god Amun. The excavation team is already searching for the remainder of the statue, an SCA official told Bikya Masr. “We are excited at the finding and hope there will be more to report in the coming days,” said the official, who was not authorized to speak to the media. Amenhotep III, who lived until 1352 BC, was hardly a modest king. Hawass said there is an “overwhelming amount of statuary” depicting the ruler, who was the father of Amenhotep IV, better known as Akhenaten. There may be other statues of him at the site, according to the council's statement. Amenhotep III's reign was a time of wealth and stability, according to the British Museum. He inherited a great empire and took on many building projects. BM
