Archaeologists in southern Jordan have uncovered a rare royal inscription bearing the seal of Pharaoh Ramses III, dating back over 3,000 years, the Jordanian government announced on Saturday. The hieroglyphic inscription, found in the Wadi Rum Reserve, marks the first documented evidence of an Egyptian pharaoh’s name inscribed in Jordan.
Jordan’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lina Annab said the discovery affirms longstanding historical connections between ancient Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. “Jordan is an open-air library with a very rich heritage of inscriptions,” Annab said, describing the find as a new window into the region’s written history.
The inscription contains two cartouches—one with Ramses III’s birth name and another with his throne name, affirming his reign over Upper and Lower Egypt from around 1184 BCE to 1153 BCE.
The find is highly important
Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass described the find as highly important, saying it could open new avenues of research into Egypt’s influence in the region. “Finding the name of Ramses III in southern Jordan is highly significant and could lead to further important revelations about historical ties between Jordan and Egypt dating back more than 3,000 years,” he said.
Ramses III is known for defending Egypt against foreign invasions, including the so-called Sea Peoples, and for extensive building projects. The presence of his seal in Jordan suggests Egypt’s political or cultural reach may have extended deeper into the Arabian desert than previously documented.
