Ancient 1.6-metre granite statue of Egyptian queen found in Luxor

Cairo - Egyptian antiquity officials announced Monday the discovery near the southern city of Luxor of a statue believed to be of a queen who was the mother of the pharaoh that shifted the kingdom towards monotheism. This picture released by the Egyptian Antiquities Department on Monday 23 January 2006 shows a 1.6-metre high black granite statue of Queen Tiye, the wife of 18th dynasty (circa 1539-1292 B.C.) King Amunhotep III and the mother of Akhenaten. EPA/SUPREME COUNCIL ON ANTIQUITIES

This picture released by the Egyptian Antiquities Department on Monday 23 January 2006 shows a 1.6-metre high black granite statue of Queen Tiye, the wife of 18th dynasty (circa 1539-1292 B.C.) King Amunhotep III and the mother of Akhenaten. EPA/SUPREME COUNCIL ON ANTIQUITIES Queen Tiye, the wife of 18th dynasty (ca. 1539 - 1292 BC) King Amunhotep III and the mother of Akhenaten, was immortalized in a 1.6- metre black granite statue discovered during work just outside of Luxor at the Temple of Mut by an archaeological mission from Johns Hopkins University of Baltimore in the US. Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Zahi Hawass described the statue as being generally well-preserved although missing one arm and both lower legs. The queen wears the headdress typical of royalty with its cobras and an eagle. It is topped by a crown with 11 cartouches on which the name Amunhotep is carved in hieroglyphics. The statue dates from a time when a trend towards more lifelike depiction of the human form was emerging - an approach that reached its zenith in the pharaonic era during Akhenaten's reign. Excavation activities are currently at their peak in Egypt, as most digs take place in the south where winter weather is more conducive to such work. © 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur