A 3,200-year-old inscription may hold the key to locating a long-lost ancient Egyptian city from the era of Ramesses II, one of the most powerful pharaohs of the New Kingdom. The carved text, which has drawn the attention of archaeologists, could reshape the known map of settlement sites tied to that dynasty.

The inscription, engraved on a block of stone, appears to name a city that has not yet been identified in the archaeological record. Researchers studying the text believe it refers to a settlement that was active during the reign of Ramesses II, who ruled Egypt for roughly six decades in the 13th century BCE. If the reading is correct, the city would add a new location to the administrative and economic geography of the period.