Photo: IBRAHIM CHALHOUB / AFP / Getty Images
A team of underwater archaeologists has discovered a sunken sanctuary and temple brimming with ancient treasures in the ancient port city of Thonis-Heracleion, located off the coast of Egypt, related to the god Amun and the goddess Aphrodite, as announced by the European Institute of Underwater Archeology (IEASM).
The team led by Franck Goddio, in collaboration with the Department of Underwater Archeology of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, undertook an investigation in the city’s southern canal.
Over there Immense blocks of stone were found that had collapsed in a cataclysm dated to the middle of the 2nd century BC. These blocks belonged to an imposing temple consecrated to the god Amun, where the pharaohs obtained from this supreme deity the titles of their power as “universal kings,” according to a statement sent to DW.
An underwater archaeological team, led by French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio, made further discoveries at the site of a temple dedicated to the god Amun, in the ancient port city of Thonis-Heracleion in Aboukir Bay.
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The largest port in Egypt on the shores of the Mediterranean
Thonis-Heracleion, which was first discovered underwater in 2000 by the IEASM, is now located about 7 km off the Egyptian coast. In its time, it was Egypt’s main port in the Mediterranean and was in operation for centuries before the founding of Alexandria in 331 BC.
However, due to rising sea levels, earthquakes and tsunamis that caused the land to liquefy, a large portion of 110 square kilometers of the Nile Delta was submerged in the sea, taking the city with it.
Treasures and ancient objects
While exploring the temple, Archaeologists unearthed a number of ancient treasures and objects, such as silver ritual instruments, gold jewelry, and alabaster containers used to store perfumes and ointments. They also found well-preserved underground structures, supported by wooden posts and beams, dating back to the 5th century BC.
“It is extremely moving to discover such delicate objects, which survived intact despite the violence and magnitude of the cataclysm,” Franck Goddio, president of the IEASM, stated in the statement.
Greek sanctuary dedicated to Aphrodite
In addition to the temple of Amun, a Greek sanctuary dedicated to Aphrodite containing bronze and ceramic objects was unearthed to the east. The presence of Greek weapons in the area suggests the possible existence of mercenaries who would have defended access to the kingdom. This find also shows that Greeks were allowed to trade and settle in the city during the Saïte dynasty (664-525 BC).
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