An Egyptian farmer found “an unusual stone.” It led archaeologists to pieces of statues for an ancient king.

October 15, 2026 / 12:51 PM EDT / CBS News

Cairo — Egyptian farmer Khaled al-Shahat was working on his land when he came across something he hadn't seen before. The unusual pink rock led archaeologists to unearth pieces of statues for King Ramses II, who ruled Egypt from 1279 B.C. to 1213 B.C.

"I was working on my land on Friday when I came across an unusual stone," al-Shahat told CBS News. "I informed the relevant authorities, and they came to examine it."

The stone turned out to be an ancient pink granite block measuring approximately 1.3 meters long (around 4.26 feet) and bearing two royal titles of Ramses II: "Nesw-Bity" (King of Upper and Lower Egypt) and "Sa-Ra" (Son of Ra, the sun god), the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said.

Archaeologists began excavations, and near the block they uncovered a colossal head of a statue of Ramses II, measuring approximately 1.6 meters high (around 5.25 feet). The king is depicted wearing the double crown, a symbol of the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3100 B.C.

On Wednesday, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy visited al-Shahat's hometown in Al Gharbia Governorate in the Nile Delta…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/