Ramesses III Cartouche Discovered in Jordan

In a remarkable discovery that bridges the ancient lands of the Nile and the Levant, archaeologists in southern Jordan have uncovered a hieroglyphic inscription bearing the royal cartouche of Pharaoh Ramesses III, who reigned from 1186-1155 B.C. This is the first known instance of Ramesses III’s cartouche being found within the borders of modern Jordan, and it offers striking new insights into Egypt’s far-reaching influence during the twilight of the New Kingdom.

The inscription, carved into a rock face in the dramatic red sandstone landscapes of Wadi Rum, an area renowned for its ancient petroglyphs and prehistoric settlements, contains the throne and birth names of Ramesses III: Usermaatre-Meryamun. These cartouches, emblematic of Pharaonic authority, suggest a royal presence or expedition, possibly military or diplomatic in nature, extending deep into the Arabian Peninsula’s northwestern corridor.

During the late Bronze Age and into the early Iron Age, the region now known as Jordan was home to a number of emerging cultural and tribal groups, including the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites. Prior to their ascendancy, this area was part of the broader sphere of Canaanite civilisation. Though politically fragmented, it was strategically positioned along key trade and migration routes linking Egypt to Mesopotamia and Arabia.

Ancient Egypt, particularly in the New Kingdom period, maintained intermittent contact with this region through military campaigns, tribute relations, and trade. Wadi Rum, near the modern border with Saudi Arabia, lies along one such historic corridor. It is entirely plausible that Egyptian expeditions, whether for conquest, resource extraction, or control of trade, reached into these territories, especially during the reigns of powerful warrior-pharaohs like Ramesses III.

The discovery was announced in April 2025 by Jordan’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Lina Annab, as part of a joint initiative between Jordan and the Saudi Heritage Commission. Egyptian archaeologist Dr Zahi Hawass noted that this singular find may mark only the beginning of a broader rediscovery of Egyptian activity in the southern Levant and northern Arabia over 3,000 years ago.

This inscription is more than a relic, it is a voice from a time when Egypt’s imperial reach echoed across deserts and mountains. It reinforces Jordan’s position as a cultural crossroads of the ancient world, where civilisations met, mingled, and left their marks upon the land. Further investigations are underway, with hopes that more evidence will illuminate the historical threads that bound the lands of the Nile to the ancient kingdoms east of the Rift Valley.