Archaeologists have made an incredible discovery that could completely change how we understand the history of Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. They’ve uncovered the remains of an ancient Egyptian town over 3,000 years old — long before the Greeks ever set foot in the region. This groundbreaking find was made at Kom el-Nugus, a mound-like archaeological site lying between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Mariout, about 43 kilometres west of modern-day Alexandria.

Temple of a discovered Egyptian town — *Photo Credit: G. Pollin, Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale*

The excavation, led by Dr Sylvain Dhennin from the University of Lyon and recently published in the journal Antiquity, revealed a New Kingdom settlement (dating roughly between 1550 and 1069 BCE) hidden beneath layers of later structures. Until now, it was widely believed that Kom el-Nugus — also historically known as Plinthine — had only been inhabited from the Hellenistic period onwards, after Alexander the Great’s arrival in 332 BCE.

One of the most fascinating finds was a fragment of an amphora stamped with the name of Meritaten, daughter of the famous Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti. This, alongside a grape-crushing installation, points to the site once being a royal wine estate during the 18th Dynasty. Other discoveries included fragments of a stela bearing the cartouche of Seti II and carved blocks from a temple built under Ramses II, dating the site firmly to the powerful 18th and 19th Dynasties of the New Kingdom.

Trenches of new Egyptian town discovered — *Photo Credit: S. Dhennin*

The French Mission of Taposiris Magna and Plinthine (MFTMP), who carried out the dig, also unearthed a series of mudbrick buildings. Two of these were laid out along a central street that featured a drainage system — a clever design to protect the structures from water damage. Interestingly, it appears this street was rebuilt and altered multiple times, suggesting the town saw intermittent, possibly seasonal or strategic, use over many years.

Above these ancient Egyptian remains, the team found the ruins of a later Hellenistic temple, carved from local stone after Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt. Although mostly reduced to its foundations, the building’s layout and inscriptions show it was once a sacred site, which later suffered looting during the Roman Imperial period.

Layout/Plan of discovered Egyptian town near Alexandria — *Photo Credit: T. Arnoux, T. Fournet, P. François & M. Vanpeene; Mission Française de Taposiris Magna Plinthine*

Despite all the later overbuilding, significant parts of the New Kingdom settlement remained surprisingly intact underneath, preserved beneath centuries of debris. The survival of such ancient remains makes this discovery even more remarkable.

Up until now, historians believed Egypt’s Mediterranean coastline was largely empty until the Ptolemaic era. But this new evidence turns that assumption on its head, proving that bustling urban life, religious activity, and even wine production existed here during the reigns of Akhenaten and Ramses II.

The team, supported by the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology and the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research), aren’t finished yet. Their next mission is to uncover the original name of the settlement and understand more about its role in ancient Egypt.

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