Archaeologists have unearthed a sphinx-like statue ‘with a smiley face and two dimples’ close to an ancient temple in southern Egypt.

The limestone artefact, believed to be a stylised representation of an ancient Roɱaп emperor, is much smaller than the famous Sphinx in the Pyramids of Giza, which is 66ft (20ft) high.

It was found along with the remains of a shrine inside a two-level tomb in the temple of Dendera in Qena Province, 280 miles (450km) south of the capital of Cairo.

Egypt’s antiquities ministry said the ‘beautifully and accurately carved’ sphinx was uncovered near the Hathor Temple, one of Egypt’s best-preserved ancient sites.

The shrine includes a two-layer platform and a mud-brick basin from the Byzantine era, while archaeologists also found a Roɱaп-era stone slab with demotic and hieroglyphic inscriptions.

Discovery: Archaeologists have unearthed a sphinx-like statue ‘with a smiley face and two dimples’ close to an ancient temple in southern Egypt

The limestone artefact, believed to be a stylised representation of an ancient Roɱaп emperor, is much smaller than the famous Sphinx in the Pyramids of Giza, which is 66ft (20ft) high

Once fully deciphered, researchers hope the slab, or stele, may shed light on the identity of the sculpted ruler, who the Egyptian research team said could be Emperor Claudius.

WHO WAS EMPEROR CLAUDIUS?

Roɱaп Emperor Claudius, whom archaeologists believe the newly-discovered statue’s smiling features may belong to, extended Roɱaп rule into North Africa between 41 and 54 AD.

He was the fourth Roɱaп emperor and the first to be born outside Italy.

In 43 AD, Claudius invaded Britain, crossing the Thames and capturing Camulodunum, the ancient Roɱaп name for what is now Colchester in Essex.

He would later go on to marry his niece Agrippina, an act contrary to Roɱaп law, which he therefore changed.

She is believed to have poisoned him in 54 AD, possibly using mushrooms, which led to his death at the age of 63.

He extended Roɱaп rule into North Africa between 41 and 54 AD and invaded Britain in 43 AD.

Hathor Temple was home to the Dendera Zodiac, a celestial map which has been displayed at the Louvre in Paris since 1922, more than a century after Frenchɱaп Sebastien Louis Saulnier blasted it out of the temple.

However, Egypt now wants it back, along with the Rosetta stone from the British Museum.

The country has unveiled several major archaeological discoveries in recent months, primarily in the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo but also in Giza, home of the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Last week, the antiquities ministry announced the discovery of a hidden 30ft (9m) passage inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, which archaeologist Zahi Hawass said may lead to ‘the actual burial chamber’ of pharaoh Khufu, or Cheops.

Scientists discovered the passageway in 2016 but did not want to damage the 4,500-year-old monument to gain access to it, so embarked on a years-long project to take a sneak peak at the secrets the cavity might hold.

Using an endoscopic camera and a technique called cosmic-ray muon radiography, experts were able to map the corridor for the first ᴛι̇ɱe.

They also said it was likely designed to help redistribute the pyramid’s weight around the entrance or another as yet undiscovered chamber.

Archaeologists also found a Roɱaп-era stone slab with demotic and hieroglyphic inscriptions

Once fully deciphered, researchers hope the slab, or stele, may shed light on the identity of the sculpted ruler, who the Egyptian research team said could be Emperor Claudius