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Egyptian archaeologists discover ancient golden ornaments in Tel el-Amarna antiquities site

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An Egyptian-English archaeological mission affiliated with the University of Cambridge, has discovered some ancient golden ornaments in the Tel el-Amarna Antiquities Area in El-Minya Governorate, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, said in a statement.

Waziri who said the precious objects contained a group of gold ornaments which were uncovered during excavations in the Northern General Cemetery.

He stated that the mission has been working in the Northern General Cemetery since 2010 in an attempt to study the quality of food and common diseases, as well as the social and economic situation of the residents of the city of Akhetaton (Tel el-Amarna), which was the capital of Egypt during the era of King Akhenaten.

Also confirming, the Director General of Antiquities of Central Egypt, Gamal el-Samastawy, said that the gold ornaments consist of a ring decorated with a picture of the ancient Egyptian deity of fun, Bes, another ring decorated with hieroglyphs, and a small necklace of hollow gold beads.

“It is worth noting that Tel El-Amarna is considered one of the most important archaeological areas in Egypt, as it was the country’s capital during the era of King Akhenaten, who called for monotheism and the worship of one god, which he called Aten,” Waziri said.

“Akhenaten named the city Akhetaton which means the horizon of Aten. In the city, he established many religious buildings for the worship of Aten, such as the Great Temple and the Small Temple, in addition to royal palaces such as the Grand Palace and the King’s House, linked by a bridge crossing the royal road used by Akhenaten to pass from his residence to the seat of government.

Akhenaten also built the Northern Palace, known as Nefertiti Palace, as well as many large houses belonging to courtiers and senior statesmen.

“The area also houses 25 tombs carved in the eastern mountain for senior statesmen and priests. These are large tombs engraved with religious themes representing the art of Amarna,” he added.

This is in addition to the royal cemetery, which is similar in its layout to the tombs of the New Kingdom in the Valley of the Kings, and is located inside the mountain, 15 km to the east of the ancient city.

Culture

Davido’s ‘Unavailable’ achieves milestone with 100 million views on YouTube, Spotify

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Nigeria’s Afrobeats sensation, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has landed another milestone after his hit single, “Unavailable’, surpassed 100 million streams on both YouTube and Spotify.

According to a release on Wednesday by his management team, the track which features South African artist, Musa Keys, also hit a major milestone as its music video crossed 100 million views on YouTube.

The hit track which was released on April 11, 2023, as part of Davido’s chart-topping album “Timeless”, grew to become the most streamed Afrobeats song of 2023 and received high praise, including being named by Rihanna as her favorite single of the year.

“The single, Unavailable, has also surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify to become Davido’s first single to achieve this feat,” the statement said.

“With the music video surpassing 100 million views, it becomes Davido’s fourth song to surpass the 100 million streams mark following his 2017 hit releases ‘If’, ‘Fall’, and ‘FIA’.

“Following the success of Unavailable, Davido released a remix EP that includes collaborations with Jamaican Dancehall star Sean Paul and American rapper Latto.

“Described by Rihanna as her favourite single of 2023, Davido’s Unavailable was the most streamed Afrobeats song released in 2023.

“Additionally, the single recently earned a SNEP Gold plaque after reaching 15 million streams in France, cementing its status as a global hit,” it added.

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Cameroon opens museum dedicated to oldest, influential kingdoms

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The Cameroonian government has inaugurated a historical museum which is dedicated to honouring its oldest and most influential kingdoms.

Known as the Royal Bomaun Kings Museum, it was inaugurated on Saturday, April 13, in Foumban, the Bauman Kingdom’s traditional capital, located in the western part of the country.

The edifice which is next to the royal palace of the Bamouns, has been described as an architectural masterpiece, pays homage to the emblem of the Bamoun – a double-headed snake, a spider, and a double-mounted gong, and houses over 10,000 historical artefacts most of whom are century-old objets d’art.

It was inaugurated by King Nabil Mbombo Njoya, the 20th ruler of the Bamouns, alongside Culture Minister, Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Mkpatt.

Foremost Cameroonian historian and anthropologist, Professor Francois Bingono Bingono, who was among the visitors at the opening of the museum, spoke glowingly of the project.

“I was privileged to visit the museum. I can tell you that it is not only the culture of western Cameroon, the culture of the Bamouns that is celebrated inside those walls.

“I recognized the culture of the forest, meaning the culture of the inhabitants of southern Cameroon, a heavily forested region.

“I also recognized the cultures of the regions of East, Centre and South Cameroon. One can also come across the cultural heritage of Loum, of the Hauts-Plateaux department, and that of northern Cameroon.

“This museum is the ideal place for those who wish to go back to their roots or take a deep dive into the culture heritage of Cameroon.

“You can see valuable items inside such as thrones and chairs used by the King. Really anything that has to do with the Bamoun dynasty from the first rulers to the current monarch.

“This is patrimony that is handed down to future generations. For the Bamouns, it represents an achievement and a celebration of their culture. For Cameroonians at large, it is part of their history.”

The Bamoun Kingdom is one of the oldest in sub-saharan Africa with historians dating its creation to the late XIVth century.

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