Archaeologists in Egypt have uncovered the burial of a 3,000-year-old horse, likely used for military purposes, inside an ancient fort located in the western Nile Delta. The horse was a young male of medium size, possibly used to pull a chariot or assist in other military activities. Nearby, remains of a chariot horse's harness fittings were also found. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the burial is believed to have been ceremonial, indicating the horse may have held special significance. The fort, located at the archaeological site of Abqaa' in Egypt's Lake District, dates back to the New Kingdom period (circa 1550–1070 B.C.) and was built to protect against attacks from hostile Libyan tribes to the west. Among the findings from the excavation was a tablet depicting a Libyan prisoner from the Meshwesh tribe, a group with which Egypt frequently clashed. The prisoner is shown with bound hands and a bent posture, symbolizing submission. Another artifact was a hieroglyphic tablet bearing the name of Pharaoh Ramesses II, who ruled from around 1279 to 1213 B.C. A second tablet included the name of Pharaoh Merneptah, who ruled from about 1213 to 1203 B.C., and compared his strength to that of Seth, an ancient Egyptian god linked to the desert and storms. Scholars not involved in the excavation have called the horse burial a rare and significant find. Lonneke Delpeut, a researcher at the University of Vienna, described it as an amazing discovery, noting that few horse remains from Pharaonic Egypt have been found, especially complete skeletons. While the horse is believed to have been used for chariots, Delpeut emphasized that it is difficult to definitively label it a "war horse" due to the lack of a clear ancient definition of what such a horse would be. She also pointed out that horse remains have been rare, despite evidence of horse stables, such as those found at the ancient capital of Pi-Ramesses. Carolyn Willekes, an expert on ancient horses at Mount Royal University in Canada, called the discovery exciting. She explained that well-preserved horse remains can offer valuable insights into the life of the individual horse, and the intentional burial suggests the cultural importance of horses in ancient Egypt. The discovery was made by an archaeological team from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, though the team had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.