Discovered the head of the military in ancient Egypt

A part of the inscription was found at the ancient citadel of Tharu.(Photo: Reuters)

The ancient citadel was at the beginning of a military road linking the Nile Valley to the Levant, under Egyptian rule for most of the time.

Scientists have been studying vertical fortresses on this road since 1986, but only this year did they find an engraved rock that identified the place. The inscriptions refer to three pharaohs - Tuthmosis II, reigning from 1512 BC, building one of the military ramparts on the road; Seti I and Ramses II, ruled Egypt from 1318 to 1237 BC.

The area also contains traces of a mud brick fortress dating back to Ramses II and an area of ​​500 - 250 m, with towers of 4 m high.

"Initial research shows that this fortress is the headquarters of the Egyptian army from the New Kingdom to the Ptolemaic period," the researchers wrote. The New Kingdom began in 1579 BC, and the Ptolemaic period ended with the death of Cleopatra in the first century BC.

"The archaeological features of this fort also coincide with the depictions of ancient Egyptian temples, showing the shape of the ancient city of Tharu, at the beginning of the Horus military road."

The area also contained the first New Kingdom temple to be found in northern Sinai, and warehouses where the Egyptian army stored food and weapons.