A joint mission of Sudanese and international archaeologists has discovered a cache of gold-plated bronze masks depicting a lion-headed deity in the ancient city of Meroe. The masks were found within a monumental temple annex specifically designed for the storage of ceremonial regalia used during the kingdom's annual summer solstice celebrations.
The artifacts are linked to the worship of Apedemak, the Kushite lion god, and provide new insights into the logistics of Meroitic state festivals. These rituals involved high-ranking officials and priests donning the masks to lead processions through the city, symbolically protecting the harvest from the desert winds. The find is being hailed as one of the most significant ceremonial discoveries in the Nile Valley this decade.