Discovered in Egypt a submerged temple: it is full of treasures
A new archaeological mission conducted in the Egyptian city of Heracleion has led to the discovery of an evocative submerged temple, rich in treasures
It is a sensational discovery, the one announced by the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt: in the ancient Egyptian city of Heracleion, which ended up under water many centuries ago, scientists found a temple dedicated to the god Amon, inside which very precious artefacts and jewels were found together with a Greek sanctuary, also rich in objects and weapons of various origins.
The ancient city of Heracleion
The city of Heracleion, also known as Thonis, was founded on one of the islands of the Nile's Delta, where it prospered between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C., a time when it was probably one of Egypt's main ports. Its fate was disastrous: around the 2nd century B.C., the inhabited center was submerged due to earthquakes and floods, which caused a rise in sea levels and a consequent sinking of the land. Its ruins lay completely ignored for a long time, until they were discovered by the archaeologist Franck Goddio in 2000.
Today the ancient city – or rather, what remains of it – is located in Aboukir Bay, about 2.5 km from the coast and a short distance from Alexandria in Egypt. The archaeological campaigns aimed at bringing to light the treasures of Heracleion have continued since then.
The latest mission, conducted by the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the European Institute of Underwater Archeology (IEASM) had considerable success: the underwater experts found what can be considered a real treasure of high value.
The new discovery
Heracleion reveals new secrets to us, thanks to the discovery of a submerged temple dedicated to the god Amon: its collapse, which occurred during the mid-2nd century B.C. was probably due to a catastrophic event, just like the one that then led to the destruction of entire city. Inside, archaeologists found the area where the votive offerings were kept.
An incredible treasure emerged, consisting of gold jewelery (including splendid earrings with a lion's head), pendants, alabaster containers for ointments and cosmetics, silver plates used for religious functions, a mysterious limestone object and a bronze jug.
“It is truly moving to discover such delicate objects, which survived intact despite the violence and magnitude of the cataclysm”
declared Franck Goddio, announcing the discovery.
Just east of the temple, a Greek sanctuary dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love was also found.
Dating back to the 5th century BC, it contained the remains of contemporary structures supported by wooden beams, as well as numerous bronze and ceramic objects (including several weapons) imported from Greece.
“This shows that Greeks were allowed to trade and settle in the city during the time of the pharaohs of the Saïte dynasty. The sanctuary also contained Greek weapons, which could indicate that Greek mercenaries were in the region to defend access to the kingdom, at the mouth of the westernmost branch of the Nile”
added Goddio, enthusiastic about the discovery. Now the research will continue, in the hope of finding new artefacts that can shed light on such a fascinating city - and historical period.
