In April 2021 an all-Egyptian archaeology team, led by Dr Zahi Hawass, announced they’d unearthed an entire 3,000-year old metropolis called Aten on the western bank of the Nile in Luxor. The find is so significant it’s been likened to the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb over 100 years ago. But that's not the only ancient wonder Aten has been compared to: thanks to its incredible state of preservation (and the fact it was abandoned in a hurry), it's been dubbed Egypt's answer to Pompeii. Although the even-more-recent discovery of a Roman city on Luxor's eastern bank threatens to overshadow Aten, the site continues to bring up fascinating new insights into ancient Egypt. Keep reading to find out what we know so far…

Dating back to the reign of Amenhotep III, who ruled over Egypt between 1391 and 1353 BC, Aten is the largest ancient Egyptian city ever found. It was part of a grand palatial complex built for the Pharaoh.

The most impressive part of the find is how well it’s been kept. In the residential area of the city, it’s possible to see houses that have kept their 10-foot (3m) high walls. These are made from mud bricks bearing Amenhotep’s seal, which is how the town was dated to this period. The rooms were also filled with tools of everyday life, from coloured pottery vessels to pots of meat.

Amenhotep’s reign is considered the pinnacle of the Egyptian empire and was a prosperous time when a great number of temples and lavish public buildings were constructed. The discovery of Aten could give an insight into what life was like during this wealthy period. Pictured here is lead archaeologist Dr Zahi Hawass among the ruins.

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Aten wasn’t just any ordinary city. According to the archaeologists, it was a huge industrial and administrative centre – essentially the capital of Egypt at the time. No wonder its name in hieroglyphics means 'The Dazzling Aten'.

Archaeologists discovered a pot bearing an inscription which they dated to 1337 BC. It’s thought that one year after the pot was made, the city was hastily abandoned, because a new capital (Akhetaten) was established at Amarna in the north of the country; Aten rapidly fell into obscurity.

The site was littered with objects and artefacts which made it look almost as if it had been abandoned yesterday. These include jewellery, pottery, statuettes, and clay caps from wine vessels as well as an array of tools for weaving, spinning and glass-making.

Several different neighbourhoods have been identified, including a bakery, an administrative quarter and housing areas. On top of this, archaeologists have found three palaces.

In the bakery, workers at the site found well-preserved areas for cooking and food preparation – complete with ovens, tools and pots like this one. Loaves of bread were even found inside the ovens. The size of the area and artefacts suggests the bakery was used to cater for a large number of people.

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Being an archaeologist is far from glamorous. Among the more off-putting foodie finds? A 3,400-year old container full of what is believed to be dried or boiled meat. There was also a fish covered in gold (pictured) at the site, which may have ben an object of veneration.

It’s not uncommon to find human remains at sites like these, but one in particular has puzzled archaeologists. Discovered with its arms outstretched and a rope tied around its knees, the team described the location and position of one skeleton as “rather odd” in a statement, adding that further investigations are needed. At the time of writing, these investigations are still pending.

As well as this particular skeleton, workers have dug up a large cemetery and tombs, which are similar to those found in the Valley of the Kings. These are yet to be fully explored, with further excavations needed to understand their significance. However, it's rumoured that one of the tombs will open to the public in February 2023, so watch this space.

After its initial abandonment, the city is thought to have been used later by Tutankhamun. It was also inhabited by Ay, who took the throne after marrying Tut’s widow. It’s believed the city was used right up until the 7th century AD when it was abandoned for good.

Yet the team have only scratched the surface of all that’s to be discovered. Further excavations are underway in the northern part of the city, with Hawass stating that the team “expects to uncover untouched tombs filled with treasures”. However, we'd argue it’s hard not to be impressed by all that’s been found in this incredible lost city already.

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