Statues and artifacts dating back to the time of Ramses II have been unearthed in Cairo. Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Dr Zahi Hawass said yesterday that the items were found in Mataryia, north eastern suburb of the capital.

    Dr. Hawass added that Mataryia was originally an important political and cultural centre in ancient times and was probably the location of one of the world’s first universities. An excavation team in Sook el-Khamis (Thursday Market) found the remains of a big temple and unearthed several statues. Dr. Hawass said SCA officials would be exploring the earth under the great Pyramid by the end of this year.

    "We will send a robot camera under the structure to give us a hint about what might be there behind the stone doors of the great Pyramid," Dr Hawass said. It is believed that discovering what lies behind these doors might help researchers answer many questions about the ancient Egyptians.

    Dr Hawass noted that archaeologists also found six new chambers near to the great Pyramid. Inside one of these rooms, which are "intact", some 404 small statues were found.

    "The statues, known as shwabti, were meant to answer questions for the deceased in the after- world," Dr Hawass said.