Treasure discovered off the coast of Egypt.

According to CNN, an announcement on September 19 stated that a team of underwater archaeologists, led by French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio, had made several new discoveries at the temple of the god Amun in the ancient port city of Thonis-Heracleion, located in the Gulf of Aboukir, Egypt.

The archaeological team investigated the southern canal of the city, where some of the massive stone blocks of the temple collapsed "during the great flood that occurred in the mid-2nd century BC".

The Temple of Amun was where the Pharaohs came to "receive the power of world kings from the supreme gods of ancient Egypt" - according to the announcement.

Several artifacts, gold jewelry, and a Djed pillar made of lapis lazuli, a symbol of stability, were found. Photo: Hilti Foundation

Precious artifacts unearthed at the temple included silver ceremonial tools, gold jewelry, and broken vials of perfume or ointment... IEASM wrote: "They bear witness to the wealth of this sacred site as well as the piety of the former inhabitants of the port city."

Located to the east of the temple, an area dedicated to the Greek goddess Aphrodite was also discovered. Here, the archaeological team found bronze and ceramic artifacts.

This demonstrates that the Greek group – who were allowed to settle and trade in this city during the time of the Saïte dynasty Pharaohs (664-525 BC) – also had places of worship for their own gods.

Furthermore, the discovery of Greek weapons also indicates the existence of Greek mercenaries in the region. According to IEASM, they guarded the entrance to the kingdom at the Canopic branch of the Nile River – the largest and most navigable branch of the river.

An exquisite bronze duck-shaped vase sits among ceramic objects at the Greek shrine to Aphrodite in the ruins of Thonis-Heracleion. Photo: Hilti Foundation

"It is incredibly moving to discover that such fragile objects could have survived intact despite the brutality and severity of the great flood," said Goddio, who led the excavation team and is also the chairman of IEASM.

These excavations were carried out jointly by Goddio's team and the Underwater Archaeology Commission of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

In addition to the artifacts mentioned above, the archaeological team also discovered underground structures "supported by very well-preserved wooden columns and beams dating from the 5th century BC".

The ruins of the ancient city of Thonis-Heracleion, discovered by IEASM in 2000, now lie underwater about 7 km off the Egyptian coast. For centuries, this city was Egypt's largest port in the Mediterranean before Alexander the Great built Alexandria in 331 BC.

"Rising sea levels and earthquakes, followed by tides, have caused numerous instances of liquefaction, submerging an area of ​​approximately 110 ^square kilometers of the Nile Delta, including Thonis-Heracleion," the statement read.

The excavation of underwater artifacts in Thonis-Heracleion requires extreme caution. Photo: Hilti Foundation

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/phat-hien-kho-bau-ngoai-khoi-ai-cap-20230920165431579.htm