Found at the site of Tell Abu Seifi (also spelled Seify), the inscription mentions Ramesses II, who reigned from about 1279 to 1213 B.C. It says that Horus, a falcon-headed ancient Egyptian god associated with the sky and war, is the "Lord of the City of Mesn," representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a translated statement.
Tell Abu Seifi is located by the Suez Canal, near the north Sinai Desert and the eastern Nile Delta. The presence of both the inscription that mentions Mesn and a temple of Horus at the site means there is a strong possibility that Tell Abu Seifi is, in fact, Mesn (also spelled Mesen), according to the statement. However, Hussein cautioned that more research is needed for archaeologists to be certain.
If Tell Abu Seifi is Mesn, it seems to have existed for a long time. A bronze seal that was previously found at Tell Abu Seifi and dates to the Ptolemaic period (circa 304 to 30 B.C.) also has an inscription that says, "Horus, Lord of Mesen," Hussein noted, and coffins dating to the Ptolemaic period previously found at the site have similar inscriptions.
A view of more of the inscriptions, which were written in the name of Ramesses II. (Image credit: Photo courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
Tell Abu Seifi is located near what the ancient Egyptians called the "Way of Horus" (or "Ways of Horus"), a road that connected the eastern Nile Delta with the southern Levant and was dotted with fortresses.
A road leading out of Africa and into the Middle East was key, as the Egyptians went on several military campaigns to expand their empire around that time.
The site's temple also hints at its importance.
Part of the site, which may actually be part of Mesn, a long-lost city from ancient Egypt. (Image credit: Photo courtesy of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)These two clues indicate that Tell Abu Seifi is Mesn, Brand said.
Waiting for more evidence
One problem is that similar inscriptions mentioning Mesn have been found at other sites in the region, raising the question of whether those sites could be Mesn, Gregory Mumford, an anthropology professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who was not involved in the excavations, told Live Science in an email. These sites include a fortress at Kom el-Qolzoum on the Suez and a fort at Tjaru in the northwest Sinai Desert. Mumford proposed that Mesn could be a broad area that encompasses multiple sites in the region.
Related storiesOther scholars also said more information on the discoveries was needed.
Research into the site is ongoing. Hussein noted that, interestingly, historical records show there was a second settlement named Mesn located in southern Egypt.
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