Egypt’s Antiquities Ministry reported on Monday that a smiling, Sphinx-like statue was discovered in the ruins of a shrine at an old temple in southern Egypt.
The Roman-era artifacts were discovered by archaeologists in the temple of Dendera in Qena Province, 280 miles south of Cairo, according to a statement from the ministry.
According to the ministry, the statue may resemble Claudius, the Roman emperor who established Roman power in North Africa between 41 and 54 A.D.
A Roman-era stone tablet with hieroglyphic writings that, once deciphered, could aid in identifying the statue’s resemblance was also discovered.
The engravings on the slab, or stele, are being studied by archaeologists.
A two-level tomb close to the temple was where the “beautifully and perfectly sculpted” Sphinx statue “with a happy face and two dimples” was discovered, according to Agence France-Presse.
According to the ministry, the limestone shrine was made out of a two-layer platform and a basin made of Byzantine-era mud bricks.
The statue is considerably smaller than the 66-foot-tall Sphinx in the Giza Pyramids complex.
