The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) announced the discovery of several ancient Egyptian and Greek artifacts at a site underneath the Mediterranean Sea.
French archaeologist Franck Goddio led the team which investigated a sunken temple to the god Amun. The temple was located off the Abu Qir Bay in Thonis-Heracleion, which for hundreds of years was an important Egyptian port before being swallowed by the ocean in a natural disaster.
The IEASM said the expedition uncovered various “precious objects” from what would’ve been the temple’s treasury, including “silver ritual instruments, gold jewelry and fragile alabaster containers for perfumes or unguents.”
“They bear witness to the wealth of this sanctuary and the piety of the former inhabitants of the port city.”
“It is extremely moving to discover such delicate objects, which survived intact despite the violence and magnitude of the cataclysm,” added Goddio, president and founder of the IEASM.
Large stone blocks marked the site of the temple which would’ve occupied a spot near the port’s south canal. The city was first discovered by the IEASM in 2000 but the organization was only recently able to fully examine the site thanks to new exploratory technology allowing the team to see objects and chambers covered by “layers of clay several meters thick.” The Department of Underwater Archaeology of Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities aided in the effort.
At the temple, pharaohs received “the titles of their power as universal kings from the supreme god of the ancient Egyptian pantheon,” according to the IEASM. The group said the temple was constructed during the 5th century BC before being lost to the sea during the mid-second century BC.
The significant find demonstrated the sacred ideals of the ancient Egyptians. However, nearby discoveries also shed light on Ancient Greek civilization, with a temple to Aphrodite being revealed east of the Egyptian site. There, bronze and ceramic jars and other artifacts were uncovered.
Greek weapons were also unearthed in the area, which archaeologists believe indicates the operation of mercenaries controlling access to the kingdom in the Nile River Delta. The Greeks would have brought their own religious traditions to the area after being allowed to settle there during the Egyptian Saïte dynasty from 664 until 525 BC.