Pop CultureWEIRD NEWS
Cucumber farmer helps find giant Ramses II statue fragments
Khaled Khalil found a carved stone in front of his home in Gharbia and alerted officials; the second statue may also depict Ramses II, unconfirmed.
On air: Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance on BBN OvernightPublished
Photo: NASA · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBNWatch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance on this story, from BBN Overnight at 1:55 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Euronews's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by Euronews: “Egyptian cucumber farmer helps archaeologists find giant Ramses II statue fragments”, with reporting from Newswav.
- Covered on BBN on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 1:55 AM ET on BBN Overnight, by Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance.
- Topics: Egyptian.
- BBN covered this story before: Did an ancient Egyptian god inspire the Oscar statuette? (October 19).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorA cucumber farmer in Egypt's Nile Delta has found the remains of two colossal statues, and archaeologists have identified one as Ramses the Second.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorHe was growing cucumbers in a greenhouse and found a pharaoh! The governor of Gharbia even said, quote, cucumbers bring antiquities.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThe first head alone is about one point six meters tall, and the whole statue may have stood eight and a half meters with its base.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThe farmer found a carved stone in front of his home and called antiquities officials.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd he told them instead of hiding it! The minister came to thank him personally.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorA pink granite block names him King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Son of Ra. Three thousand years waiting for a man with a greenhouse.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorBest crop he ever pulled. Dr. Byte, got any gadget that can top a greenhouse?
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Photo: Coolcaesar at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
The story so far
- Giant 3,000-Year-Old Statues of Ramses II Unearthed by Egyptian Farmer · Breitbart
- Which stone helped scholars crack Egyptian hieroglyphs? · Wikipedia
- Did an ancient Egyptian god inspire the Oscar statuette? · Euronews
- Cucumber farmer helps find giant Ramses II statue fragments (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 · the Pop Culture archive · all months
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