Tourists flock to the Karnak Temple scenic area in the southern Egyptian city of Luxor, taking photos among the magnificent circular columns and experiencing the charm of ancient Egyptian civilization. In the Mengtu Temple ruins not far from the tourist visiting area, strong winds swept yellow sand over waist high ruins, and several archaeologists carefully cleared the sand under the scorching sun. Since 2018, the first Sino Egyptian joint archaeological team jointly established by the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Relics has been conducting archaeological excavations and research at this site, attempting to uncover the mysterious veil of this ancient temple that dates back over 3000 years. Recently, the China Egypt Joint Archaeological Team announced important archaeological achievements to the public. In order to solve the problem of the temple's age, it is necessary to search for ancillary buildings. Under a wall, we discovered piled up stones and mud bricks connected to them. Scholars from both sides were discussing what this might be? As the excavation work continues, a square shaped building appears, and we confirm that it is a sacred lake. ”Jia Xiaobing, the Chinese general manager of the joint archaeological project of the Mengtu Temple in Luxor, described the scene of discovering the holy lake to Xinhua News Agency reporters. The newly discovered holy lake covers an area of over 50 square meters and is a well preserved ancient artificial water storage facility with a clear structure. It, together with the holy lake of the previously known Temple of Mengtu, forms a unique layout of the north and south holy lakes standing side by side within the walls, and is therefore also known as the South Holy Lake. It is reported that the Holy Lake is an essential component of ancient Egyptian temple architecture and is considered a sacred water source, exclusively used for rituals within the temple. The discovery of two holy lakes in the same temple area is the first in the history of Egyptian archaeology, filling the gap in Egyptology and Egyptian history. South Holy Lake is also the only holy lake in the history of Egyptian archaeology that has undergone systematic scientific excavation, providing us with valuable first-hand information and samples for studying ancient Egyptian holy lakes. ”Jia Xiaobing said. Mohammed Abdul Badi, Director of the Egyptian Antiquities Department of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, said that the newly discovered holy lake is of great significance, not only because it has not been recorded before, but also because it is located within the Karnak Temple complex. It is reported that as of now, the joint archaeological team has excavated a total area of about 2300 square meters. In addition to the Holy Lake, the joint archaeological team also successfully excavated the complete architectural structures of the second to fifth Osiris Temples, unearthed dozens of Osiris statues of different sizes and materials, as well as multiple stone fragments related to the late Egyptian Saints. This discovery not only reveals the religious ritual life of ancient Egypt, but also demonstrates a successful modern model of international cooperation. ”Buddy said that China's technical expertise has played a decisive role in the work, and the introduction of advanced digital photogrammetry tools has greatly improved the accuracy of measurement records. At the same time, Egyptian archaeologists shared their knowledge of Egyptology and field practice experience, stating that "archaeological achievements come from the exchange of professional knowledge between the two sides". Hande Ali, a member of the joint archaeological team from Egypt and the chief inspector of the Mengtu Temple, said that some Chinese team members have a strong background in Egyptology, "they are good at cooperation and flexible, and are very willing to discuss with us. Jia Xiaobing introduced that the joint archaeological team had encountered some unexpected technical difficulties. The commonly used surveying instruments, drones and other equipment in domestic archaeology are not allowed to be used in Egypt. "We respect local laws and find ways to overcome the difficulties. Jia Xiaobing said that they made a retractable ultra long selfie stick, hung the camera on it, took over 20000 photos, and then spent a lot of time patiently processing them. Huang Fucheng is an archaeologist from Zhengzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in Henan Province. He joined the joint archaeological team in 2019. Huang Fucheng said that the two major civilizations of the Yellow River and the Nile River each have distinct regional cultural characteristics, and the tools used in archaeological excavation work are also different. In my conversation with my Egyptian colleagues, I learned that they are full of admiration for the splendid civilization of ancient China, and everyone has a sense of mutual respect. Cooperation between Egypt and China is no longer an optional choice, but has become very necessary. ”Buddy said that both countries have long and great cultural traditions, and in the current international situation, getting closer to each other is both natural and practical. (New Society)