Gary J Sibio
Image of an Ohm Seti priestess found among the underwater ruins.
Heracleion, also known as Thionis, was an Egyptian city located near Alexandria. For centuries it was thought to be a myth. References to the city date back as far as 12,000 BC but its height was during the end of the time of the pharoahs. According to the 5th century BC Greek historian Herodotus, Helen of Troy visited the city with her Trojan lover Paris. Legend has it that Hercules also visited the city, giving his name to it.
The sunken city was discovered in 1999 by Franck Goddio, a French underwater archaeologist who was searching for the sunken remains of Napolean’s warships from the Battle of the Nile (1798).
The city must have been an important trading city for a time as weights from Athens, used in bartering and commerce, were uncovered among the ruins.
Scientists are not certain about the city’s fate. One theory says that the city sank in the 6th or 7th century AD due to earthquakes and flooding. Another theory is that the sea level rose and deposits covered the city Its ruins were recovered by French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio in 2000.
So far the following has been excavated:
- A statue of the god Hapi.
- A large statue of the Egyptian goddess Isis.
- A large statue of a queen from the Ptolemaic dynasty.
- A statue of an unidentified pharoah.
- Hundreds of small statues of Egyptian deities.
- Sarcophagi contianing the corpses of mummified animals that had been sacrificed to Amun-Gereb.
- Amulets (religious charms) depicting Isis, Osiris, and Horus.
- A gold vessel.
- An ancient lamp.
- An inscribed pillar 1.9 meters tall which was commissioned by Nectanebo I (378-362 BC).
Sources
Note: Some of these sources have some excellent photographs of the excavation. I haven’t posted more photos because I wasn’t certain which ones I could legally share.
- Catholic Online: 06 Jun 2013. “Ancient Egyptian city of Heracleion to share its sunken secret at long last”
- Seriously for Real. 04 Jun 2013. Heracleion Photos: Lost Egyptian City Revealed After 1,200 Years Under Sea
- Skyz, Sunny. 01 Dec 2013. An Ancient City Is Discovered Underwater. What They Found Will Change History Forever
- Wikipedia: Heracleion
© 2017 Gary J. Sibio. All rights reserved.
World down under the sea or ocean….interesting
If you haven’t seen it, look for Blue Planet. It’s a BBC series about the oceans.
Fascinating it must be such an exciting world down under the sea or ocean.
I always wanted to go scuba diving but the opportunities are rare in Chicago and, frankly, not all that interesting.
Makes you wonder what all is at the bottom of the ocean. We might be surprised.
Very true. It’s a very difficult undertaking, however.