Archaeologists stumble on rare statue of Egyptian god Pataikos

An exciting discovery has been made during excavations at Perre Ancient City in Adiyaman: for the first time in Anatolia, a figurine of the ancient Egyptian god Pataikos has been unearthed.

Excavations are continuing around the sacred necropolis road (Stairway to Eternity) and the “Garden of Paradise's mosaic.

The Stairway to Eternity, where 670 meters had previously been uncovered, was extended by another 170 meters this year, reaching 840 meters in total.

During this season's excavations, five burial chambers were revealed along the stairway.

One chamber, designed in hypogeum style and dating back to the Hellenistic Period (2,100 years ago), contained the remains of 14 individuals.

Inside, archaeologists discovered a faience amulet depicting Pataikos, along with various other amulets and beads of different types and materials.

Faience, believed to have been produced in the Near East and Egypt since the 4th millennium BC, consists of quartz particles.

Preliminary studies suggest parallels with examples found in Italy, Greece, and the Eastern Mediterranean coast, yet this marks the first find of its kind in Anatolia.