Manchester-based researchers contribute to the discovery of an ancient Egyptian city

Archaeologists from The University of Manchester have played a key role in the rediscovery of the ancient Egyptian city of Imet, located in the eastern Nile Delta. Their work revealed multi-storey residences, granaries, and a ceremonial road associated with the worship of the cobra goddess Wadjet.

The excavation at Tell el-Fara’in (also known as Tell Nabasha) is part of a collaborative Egyptian-British project led by Dr. Nicky Nielsen of The University of Manchester, in partnership with the University of Sadat City in Cairo. By integrating remote sensing technology with traditional fieldwork, the team is shedding new light on the city's urban structure, religious practices, and economy during the 4th century BC.

Dr. Nielsen’s team used high-resolution satellite images to detect concentrations of ancient mudbrick structures before beginning their digs. This method led to the discovery of densely packed architectural features, including large tower houses—multi-storey buildings with extremely thick foundations—built to support the rising population in the increasingly urbanised Delta region.

“These tower houses are primarily found in the Nile Delta between the Late Period and the Roman era, and are uncommon in other parts of Egypt,” explained Dr. Nielsen. “Their existence in Imet indicates it was a bustling, densely populated city with a sophisticated urban layout.”

Other notable finds include a paved grain processing area and animal enclosures, suggesting that the city also had a robust local economy in addition to its religious importance.

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In another section of the site, archaeologists uncovered a large structure with a limestone-plastered floor and massive columns dating back to the mid-Ptolemaic Period. This building was constructed over the former processional road that once led to the temple of Wadjet, the city’s patron goddess. The fact that the road had been abandoned by this time offers valuable clues about changing religious practices in ancient Egypt.

Artifacts recovered from the site highlight the city’s rich spiritual life. Among the most striking are a green faience ushabti from the 26th Dynasty, a stela depicting the god Harpocrates with protective symbols, and a bronze sistrum featuring dual Hathor heads—symbols of music and joy.

The University of Manchester’s contributions are helping to reshape global understanding of Egypt’s long-lost cities, gradually revealing the ancient Nile Delta through each new discovery.

Alongside Dr. Nicky Nielsen, the excavation team included Dr. Hamada Hussein (University of Sadat City), Dr. Diana T. Nikolova (University of Liverpool), Matei Tichindelean and Kylie Thomsen (both from UCLA), as well as Omar Farouk, Jamal el-Sharkawy, Ahmed Fahim, and Ali Bashir.