Egypt, important sunken military ship discovered in Abukir Bay

Egypt ’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has released news of a major discovery by the French-Egyptian archaeological mission of theInstitut Européen d’Archéologie Sous-Marine (IEASM), a French nonprofit archaeological research organization. It is the wreck of a Greek military ship that sank in Abukir Bay, near Alexandria, 2.5 kilometers from the coast. Along with the ship, the remains of a Greek burial ground were also found. These treasures were returned from the ancient port city of “Heracleion,” also known as “Thonis,” whose ruins lie just submerged in the sea of the bay. Heracleion was the main port city of Egypt before the founding of Alexandria in 331 B.C.: a thriving city, it was home to a large Greek colony, as Greeks were allowed to settle in the city during the late Pharaonic period, when they quickly gained prestige and prominent positions in society.

According to Mustafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the ship was supposed to be docked in the channel that ran along the south wall of the temple of Amun, but it sank due to the collapse of the temple (by an earthquake) and falling stone blocks on it in the second century B.C. Frank Goddio, president and founder of IEASM, pointed out that the discovery of ships from this era is still a very rare event, and that Greek ships of this type were completely unknown until recently. The ship, which had a flat keel for sailing on the Nile, was rowed, and had a large sail as can be seen by looking at the base of the mast, which was of considerable size. The construction techniques would indicate that the ship was built in Egypt.

As for the funerary area found in another part of the city, the remains date back to the early fourth century B.C. and according to the ministry “magnificently illustrate the presence of Greek merchants who lived in that city controlling the entrance to Egypt at the mouth of the Canopic branch of the Nile.”

Egypt, important sunken military ship discovered in Abukir Bay

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