BY THE ARCHAEOLOGIST EDITOR GROUP
Thonis-Heracleion, a city that was formerly Egypt's largest port, is where the discovery was made.
In the city of Alexandria, the Mediterranean Sea has revealed the remains of two ancient temples: one to the Egyptian deity Amun and the other to the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
A joint Egyptian-French archaeological effort discovered the find in the ancient city of Thonis-Heracleion, which is submerged and located seven kilometers from the Bay of Abou Qir.
The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM), which has been conducting research at the location since its head Franck Goddio first discovered it there in 2000, reported the discovery.
The team has assigned a mid-second century BC date to the cataclysmic catastrophe that is thought to have caused the enormous stone slabs that make up the Amun temple's ruins to fall.
(Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation)
There were priceless treasures from the temple's treasury discovered, including gold jewelry, alabaster vessels used to store perfumes, and silver ritual instruments.
The institution claimed that they "give witness to the wealth of this sanctuary and the piety of the previous residents of the port city."
Underground buildings from the fifth century were discovered a few meters below the temple's ruins. These buildings were still supported by their original wooden supports and beams.
The mission's discovery was facilitated by modern exploration technologies that made it possible to locate artifacts buried beneath several meters of clay.
The discovery of such exquisite items that were unharmed despite the fury and severity of the cataclysm, according to Dr. Goddio, is extraordinarily moving.
Bronze and ceramic artifacts were found at the site, which was a sanctuary dedicated to the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
It is thought that the artifacts discovered at the Amun temple were transported from Greece.
Before Alexandria was established in 331 BC, Thonis-Heracleion served as Egypt's principal port on the Mediterranean Sea for many years.
Following earthquakes that generated tidal waves and land liquefaction that buried 110 square kilometers of the Nile Delta, the city was submerged.
Franck Goddio / Hilti Foundation
Rising sea levels also played a role in the submersion.
The Aphrodie Sanctuary temple's presence implies that Greeks were permitted to settle, dwell, and practice their religion in the ancient city.
Due to the fact that both Egypt and Greece were significant Mediterranean civilizations, Thonis-Heracleion saw the start of major trade between them that lasted for millennia.
The team has also concluded that Greek mercenaries had been stationed in the city as a result of the discovery of Greek weapons at the scene.
They were guarding the entrance to the kingdom at the Canopic Branch of the Nile's mouth. According to the institute, this branch was the largest and most easily navigable in antiquity.
Since the buried city's discovery, numerous artifacts have been uncovered there, including 64 ships, 700 anchors, a hoard of gold coins, five-meter-tall statues, and—perhaps most significantly—the ruins of a sizable temple to the god Amun-Gereb.
Thonis-Heracleion: The Sunken Jewel of Ancient Egypt
Thonis-Heracleion, once a prominent and bustling port city of ancient Egypt, now lies submerged under the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, near the modern city of Alexandria. Its rediscovery in recent times has provided invaluable insights into the rich tapestry of ancient Egyptian history, commerce, and cultural interactions with other Mediterranean civilizations.
The city had dual names due to its significance for both Egyptian and Greek cultures. The Egyptians called it "Thonis," while the Greeks named it "Heracleion" after the legendary hero Heracles (Hercules), who, according to their legends, once visited the city.
Thonis-Heracleion was a major trading port around the 1st millennium BC, serving as a vital commercial hub for the Mediterranean world and the Nile Delta.
The city had a grand temple dedicated to the god Amun. It played a pivotal role in certain religious ceremonies, including the annual celebration where statues of gods were taken on boats from the Nile to the temple.
The ruins of Thonis-Heracleion were rediscovered in 2001 by a team led by French underwater archaeologist Dr. Franck Goddio. The city was found submerged under approximately 30 feet of water in the Bay of Aboukir.
Since its rediscovery, numerous statues, inscriptions, and architectural elements have been excavated from the site. Notable finds include massive statues of Egyptian deities, steles (stone or wooden slabs), gold coins, and remnants of the city's grand temples.
The exact reasons for Thonis-Heracleion's descent into the depths remain a matter of research and debate. Several theories exist:
Natural Disasters: Geological evidence suggests that the city might have suffered from a series of natural disasters, such as earthquakes or tsunamis. These events might have liquefied the clay and silt the city was built upon, causing buildings to collapse and the city to sink.
Gradual Subsidence: The weight of large buildings, combined with the local geology of waterlogged clays and rising sea levels, could have resulted in the city slowly sinking over time.
Thonis-Heracleion's story is a testament to the ever-changing landscapes and the impermanence of even the grandest of human cities. Its submerged ruins serve as a time capsule, offering a rare and untouched glimpse into the political, religious, and social life of the ancient Mediterranean world. It also stands as a reminder of the rich cross-cultural interactions that took place along the busy maritime trade routes of the ancient world.
In conclusion, Thonis-Heracleion, once lost to time and waters, is a resurrected beacon from antiquity. With each artifact brought to the surface and each section of the city mapped, we come closer to understanding a chapter of ancient history that once lay hidden beneath the waves.
