Does This Peculiar Statue Found at an Ancient Egyptian Temple Really Depict Cleopatra?

Archaeologists searching for Cleopatra’s tomb have discovered a trove of coins, artifacts and a bust that they say depicts the famous queen at the ancient Egyptian city of Taposiris Magna. But others are not so sure.

Kathleen Martinez, the lead archaeologist of the excavation, has been digging with her team at the site since 2005. She says the statue, which is made of white marble and small enough to fit in someone’s hand, portrays Cleopatra wearing a royal diadem.

Cleopatra VII was the last ruler of Egypt’s Ptolemaic dynasty, a period of strength and cultural growth. She lived from 69 to 30 B.C.E. and is known for her political acumen, intelligence, and romantic and strategic relationships with powerful Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. According to lore, she took her own life at 39 after losing her kingdom when Octavian (later Augustus) defeated her forces—although the exact nature of her death remains uncertain.

Not all experts agree with Martinez' conclusion. Zahi Hawass, a former Egyptian minister of tourism and antiquities not involved in the dig, says that the bust may date after Cleopatra’s time.

"I looked at the bust carefully. It is not Cleopatra at all; it is Roman," Hawass tells Live Science’s Owen Jarus. As Jarus explains, pharaohs were portrayed in Egyptian art styles during the Ptolemaic dynasty, not Roman. The Roman period in Egypt began in 30 B.C.E. after Cleopatra's death.

Even the Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities adds that, “It is more likely the statue represents another royal woman or princess,” in a press release posted to Facebook.

The bust was not the only royal statue that archaeologists discovered at the site. The team also unearthed a statue of a king wearing a headdress, as well as oil lamps, a bronze ring honoring the sky goddess Hathor, and an amulet dedicated to Ra the sun god, with the phrase "The justice of Ra has arisen."

The artifacts were in close proximity to one another, lending credence to an earlier date put forward by Martinez. Ancient Egyptians often buried a collection of items, known as “foundation deposits,” before they began to build important new structures.

In all, the dig was quite successful in its yield. In addition to a newly unearthed necropolis at the temple, underwater excavations of submerged sections have uncovered human remains and a trove of pottery.

The team also found a collection of 337 coins—many of which more definitively depict Cleopatra. Harvard University classicist Irene Soto Marín tells Hyperallergic’s Isa Farfan that the image minted on the coins is an “official” portrait of Cleopatra; currency like this helped cement the queen’s image throughout history.

“This is the most seen image of any emperor or any queen in antiquity,” Marín says. “The only place where a regular ‘Joe Schmo’ would see that image of their ruler … everyone saw coins.”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.