A farmer finds an archaeological treasure in Egypt... and the authorities honor him

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In an incident that reflects the Egyptian citizen’s awareness of the importance of preserving his country’s heritage, an ordinary working day for farmer Khaled Al-Shahat Khalil on his agricultural land in the village of “Bahbit Al-Hajara” affiliated with the Samanoud Center in Gharbia Governorate turned into an important archaeological event.

While working on the land, he found a stone bearing unusual inscriptions, which prompted him to immediately inform the competent authorities without hesitation.

After the concerned authorities moved to the site and began examination and excavation work, the Egyptian archaeological mission affiliated with the Supreme Council of Antiquities succeeded in uncovering the remains of two huge royal statues that likely belonged to King Ramses II, along with a block of pink granite bearing royal titles written in hieroglyphic script.

This discovery aroused the interest of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and Gharbia Governorate, which decided to honor the citizen in appreciation of his honesty and keenness to protect Egyptian heritage, and to grant him an Umrah trip.

Speaking to Al-Arabiya.net/Al-Hadath.net, Al-Shahat explained that during his usual work on agricultural land, he was surprised by the appearance of a piece of stone different from the stones spread in the area. He said that he did not initially realize its nature or archaeological value, but he felt that it deserved examination, so he took the initiative to inform the competent authorities to confirm its truth.

He also added that the land passed to him by inheritance from his grandfather, and that he did not expect that his daily work there would lead him to an archaeological discovery related to the history of ancient Egypt and King Ramses II.

Al-Shahat also confirmed that he rushed to inform the antiquities authorities as soon as he found the piece, based on his feeling of responsibility towards his country’s antiquities, indicating that he never thought about keeping it or disposing of it away from the competent authorities, as it is part of the Egyptian cultural heritage.

He explained that specialists moved to the site to examine the stone and confirm its antiquity, before excavation work began, which resulted in the discovery of the remains of the two statues and the inscribed granite block.

He also expressed his pride and happiness in contributing to this discovery, stressing that what was found represents a national treasure that will be added to the record of the ancient Egyptian civilization witnessed by the world.

He pointed out that his honor by the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and the Governor of Gharbia is a great appreciation for him, stressing that his goal was to preserve Egypt’s antiquities and not to obtain any compensation.

While he concluded his speech by expressing his hope that his position would encourage citizens to cooperate with the competent authorities and report any archaeological discoveries, in a way that ensures the protection and preservation of national heritage for future generations.