Farmer Uncovers 3,200-Year-Old Statue of Ramses II in Egypt 2026

A farmer in Egypt's Nile Delta discovered a 3,200-year-old statue of Ramses II while tending his cucumber crop, sparking a rescue excavation that has unearthed fragments of two colossal royal statues.

Khaled el-Shahat was working in his greenhouse in the village of Behbeit El Hagar, about 130 kilometers north of Cairo, when he hit something unusually hard. What he uncovered was a pink granite block covered in hieroglyphs—and beneath it lay the remains of a pharaoh.

What the Farmer Found in His Cucumber Field

The block that stopped el-Shahat's hoe is more than a meter long and bears two inscriptions naming Ramses II as "king of Upper and Lower Egypt" and "son of Ra." Realizing the significance, he alerted Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, which launched a rescue excavation.

Behbeit El Hagar is already known for the ruins of a major temple of Isis, making it a site of archaeological interest. The new find adds to the area's reputation as a repository of ancient treasures.

The Two Colossal Statues Unearthed

The excavation revealed fragments of two massive statues. The first is a 1.6-meter head of Ramses II, still wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt—a symbol of unified rule.

Archaeologists also found a large portion of a second royal statue, estimated at about 2.4 meters in size. Both are likely depictions of Ramses II, one of Egypt's most prolific builders and celebrated pharaohs.

Key Details of the Discovery

• Location: Behbeit El Hagar, Nile Delta, approximately 130 km north of Cairo.
• Discoverer: Farmer Khaled el-Shahat, while cultivating cucumbers in a greenhouse.
• Artifacts: Pink granite block with hieroglyphs, 1.6-meter head of Ramses II, and part of a 2.4-meter royal statue.
• Inscriptions: Name Ramses II as "king of Upper and Lower Egypt" and "son of Ra."
• Status: Excavations are ongoing; further finds are anticipated.

Why This Discovery Matters

Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, ruled for 66 years and left monuments across Egypt. Finding new statues of him helps scholars understand how his image was projected throughout the kingdom, even in areas away from major capitals. Context on how this played out before sits in Beringia's Lost Link: Bison Hunters Who Crossed from Asia to America 13,800.

The fact that a farmer stumbled upon such a find highlights how much of Egypt's heritage still lies buried beneath ordinary farmland. It also underscores the role of local communities in safeguarding antiquities. The background to this story is set out in Salamanca Cathedral Dig Uncovers Roman Caldron and Ancient Tombs. A related thread runs through Aragonese Farmer Gives Away 200-Year-Old Pumpkin Seeds to Save Them.

Comparison of the Two Statues

What Happens Next

Excavations at the site are continuing, and experts hope to recover more pieces of the statues and perhaps other artifacts. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has not announced a timeline for when the finds will be moved or displayed. Earlier coverage in Málaga Metro Dig Uncovers One of Spain's Largest Roman Necropolises shows how the argument developed. A closer look at the same subject appears in Queensland Police Officer's Buried Secrets: Dig Uncovers Truth.

For now, the discovery serves as a reminder that Egypt's ancient past is never far from the surface—sometimes just a cucumber's depth away. Anyone following the wider picture can start with Trending: latest articles. The same theme surfaces in China Deploys Record Military Aircraft at Egypt Airshow, which takes a different angle.