The face of the hybrid Greek-Egyptian god Amun-Zeus appears on both of these coins.
Supreme Council of Antiquities
THE GIST:
- Nearly 400 bronze coins dating back to the the 3rd century B.C. were found in Egypt.
- The coins were discovered 50 miles southwest of Cairo.
Archaeologists unearthed 383 bronze coins dating back to King Ptolemy III who ruled Egypt in the 3rd century B.C. and was an ancestor of the famed Cleopatra, Egypt's antiquities authority announced Wednesday.
The statement said one side of the coins were inscribed with hybrid Greek-Egyptian god Amun-Zeus, while the other side showed an eagle and the words Ptolemy and king in Greek.
Founded by one of Alexander the Great's generals, the Ptolemaic Dynasty ruled Egypt for some 300 years, fusing Greek and ancient Egyptian cultures.
The coins were found north of Qarun lake in Fayoum Oasis 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Cairo.
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Other artifacts were unearthed in the area included three necklaces made of ostrich egg shell dated back to the 4th millennium B.C. and a pot of kohl eyeliner from the Ottoman Empire.
Tags: Ancient Civilizations, Ancient Egypt, Artifacts, Royalty and Rulers
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