Archaeologists have discovered a 4,500-year-old sun temple in Egypt that was previously lost to history

The discovery reveals what is believed to be one of Egypt's ancient 'sun temples,' dating back to the mid-25th century BCE.

The remains were found beneath another temple in Abu Ghurab, located about 12 miles south of Cairo, according to Massimiliano Nuzzolo, the mission's co-director and an Egyptology professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Nuzzolo and his team’s remarkable find was featured in the National Geographic show 'Lost Treasures of Egypt,' which aired on Sunday.

In 1898, another archaeological team uncovered the sun temple of Nyuserra, also known as Neuserre, the sixth king of Egypt’s 5th dynasty, who reigned from 2400 to 2370 BCE.

Recent findings suggest that the newly discovered temple was built on top of the remains of an earlier sun temple.

"The 19th-century archaeologists excavated only a small section of the mud-brick structure beneath the stone temple of Nyuserra and assumed it was part of the same temple's earlier phase," Nuzzolo explained to Dinogo in an email.

"Our discoveries now confirm that this was a completely different structure, built before Nyuserra's temple," he added.

The discoveries include seals inscribed with the names of kings who predated Nyuserra, which were once used as jar stoppers, as well as two limestone column bases that formed part of an entrance portico and a limestone threshold.

The original structure was built entirely from mud bricks, said Nuzzolo, whose team also uncovered numerous intact beer jars during the excavation. Some of these jars contained ritual mud, a substance used exclusively for certain religious ceremonies. The pottery has been dated to the mid-25th century BCE, a few generations before Nyuserra's reign.

The mud-brick structure was "impressive in size," according to Nuzzolo, but Nyuserra later dismantled it for the construction of his own sun temple.

These temples, devoted to the sun god Ra, allowed the king to legitimize his power, presenting himself as the sole earthly son of the sun god, Nuzzolo explained.

"In essence, the primary function of the temple was to serve as the site for the deification of the living king," Nuzzolo added.

Historical records indicate that a total of six sun temples were constructed, though only two had been uncovered prior to this discovery, according to Nuzzolo. These records confirm that all the sun temples were built in the Abu Gharab region.

Nyuserra's sun temple bears a striking resemblance to the mud-brick structure, though it is significantly larger and constructed from stone, Nuzzolo explained.

Nuzzolo noted that Nyuserra could not have built the mud-brick structure, as Egyptian pharaohs typically did not construct temples from mud bricks only to later rebuild them using stone.

"In cases where a king is pressed for time, the monument is often constructed using mud bricks with key structural elements made of stone," Nuzzolo stated. He believes these findings make it "highly probable" that other sun temples were also built with mud bricks and some stone features.

"This method may have contributed to their eventual disappearance over the centuries, similar to what happened with many other ancient Egyptian structures made from such a perishable material," he added.

Additionally, buildings made from mud bricks are easily destroyed and covered by new structures, which likely occurred in this case as well.

The team plans to conduct further excavations to determine which pharaoh was responsible for the construction of the temple.

By analyzing the pottery, they aim to gain insights into the daily lives of the people from that era, including their diet and beliefs, Nuzzolo explained.

This excavation is part of a collaborative effort between the University of Naples L’Orientale and the Polish Academy of Sciences.