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Divers swimming through Heracleion,
an ancient Egyptian city that's now under water, have discovered a trove of
artifacts, including the remains of a temple, gold jewelry, coins and the
missing piece of a ceremonial boat, according to Egypt's Ministry of
Antiquities.
Heracleion — named after the
legendary Hercules, who ancient people believed actually visited the city — was
a bustling metropolis in its day. When it was built in about the eighth century
B.C., it sat on the edge of the Nile River, next to the Mediterranean Sea.
Cleopatra was even crowned in one of its temples. Then, about 1,500 years ago, it flooded, and now sits
under about 150 feet (45 meters) of water.
Ever since archaeologists discovered
it in 2000, Heracleion (also known as Thonis) has slowly revealed its ancient
secrets. During the latest two-month excavation, archaeologists were delighted
to find the remains of a large temple, including its stone columns, and the
crumbling remnants of a small Greek temple, which was buried under 3 feet (1 m)
of sediment on the seafloor, the ministry reported.
The excavation team of Egyptian and
European archaeologists was led by Franck Goddio, the underwater archaeologist
who discovered Heracleion 19 years ago. Together, the team used a scanning tool
that transmits images of artifacts resting on the seafloor and those buried
beneath it.
The scanning tool revealed part of a
boat. During past excavations, archaeologists had found 75 boats, although not
all of them were complete. This new finding was the missing part of boat 61,
which was likely used for ceremonial purposes, the Ministry of Antiquities said in a statement.
It wasn't a small boat, either. When
the archaeologists pieced boat 61 together, it measured 43 feet long and 16
feet across (13 m by 5 m). It was buried beneath 3 feet and 10 feet (1 m and 3
m) of sediment, the ministry noted.
The ship held tiny treasures — coins
of bronze and gold, as well as jewelry. The bronze coins uncovered at
Heracleion date to the time of King Ptolemy II, who ruled from 283 to 246 B.C.
The team also discovered pottery dating to the third and fourth centuries B.C.,
the ministry noted.
The team also looked at the
underwater site of Canopus, which, like Heracleion, is located in the Gulf of Abu
Qir, Alexandria. At Canopus, the archaeologists found an ancient building
complex that extended the city's footprint southward about 0.6 miles (1
kilometer), the ministry said.
Canopus also held other treasures;
the archaeologists found an ancient port, coins from the Ptolemaic and
Byzantine periods, and rings and earrings from Ptolemaic times. All of these
artifacts indicate that Canopus was a busy city from the fourth century B.C. to
the Islamic era.
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And so it goes! More treasures found in the deeps!
Until next time,
Fair Winds
Old Salt