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Vanished Persian Army Turns Up in Sand

Evidence of 50K doomed soldiers found in Egyptian desert

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 17, 2009 2:21 PM CST
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(Newser) – Italian archaeologists in Egypt claim to have unearthed evidence of a 6th-century BC Persian military folly once thought mythical. Herodotus described an army of 50,000 Persians sent by their emperor, Cambyses, to destroy an oracle that had spoken ill of his ambitions. The army was, according to lore, beset by a massive sandstorm and “utterly disappeared.” Not so, say Alfredo and Angelo Castiglioni. They've turned up fragments of pots, weaponry, jewelry, and hundreds of human bones.

“We are talking of small items,” Alfredo tells Time of their find in western Egypt, near the Libyan border. “But they are extremely important.” The brothers started their quest for evidence of the ancient army in 1996, when they discovered ancient Persian arrowheads and other artifacts. They are the first items “dating to Cambyses' time, which have emerged from the desert sands.” Explorers have searched for remnants of the army, to no avail, since the 19th century.

Workers at dawn excavate an ancient site.
Workers at dawn excavate an ancient site.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
bewilderbeast
Nov 18, 2009 10:08 AM CST
Timinally subscribes to the GOP "they's all towelheads" style of thinking. He also thinks hamburgers are cuisine, GM makes good cars and the UN should bow down the Yoo Ess of Ay. ***ducks, runs away in a zigzag pattern***
Jes
Nov 18, 2009 6:51 AM CST
Ende, SPH knows because he's been here a while. Mabe check Timmy's backposts.He has good points every now and then, just enough you keep reading his comments, but most of the time he trolls just like a lot of the "conservatives" here do.
Rocket448
Nov 18, 2009 6:04 AM CST
its just that we know Tim and his leanings. that's all. sorry you don't find quality here. look, if you want quality, subscribe to the Times. Or NPR. Plus, you don't need to know that Iraqis are arabs and Iranians are Persians (except the mullahs). Our State Department may know, but acts as tho it doesn't matter. Why should Newser readers be any different.

 
Iran • archaeology • Libya • ancient Egypt • archaeologist • ancient history • Persia • sandstorm • army • Herodotus

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