From the 4th Century BC, fruit-filled wicker baskets were found in the submerged ruins off the coast of Egypt. Hundreds of bronze treasures and ceramic artifacts from ancient times have also been discovered.They have remained untouched ever since the city was submerged under the waves in the second Century BC. The city then sank further into the eighteenth century AD after cataclysmic natural catastrophes such as an earthquake and tidal wave.Thonis-Heracleion, the city's Egyptian and Greek names, was for centuries Egypt's largest port on Mediterranean before Alexander The Great founded Alexandria in 331 BC.The vast site at Aboukir Bay, Alexandria was not discovered until Franck Goddio, a French marine archaeologist, discovered it two decades ago. It is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of recent times.The treasures of an opulent civilisation were preserved in time by colossal statues. In 2016, some of these discoveries were displayed in a major British Museum exhibition.Goddio was stunned by the new discoveries. The Guardian reported that Goddio was stunned by the discovery of the fruit baskets, which had been unaltered for over 2,000 years.They still contained doum, an African palm tree's fruit that was sacred to the ancient Egyptians as well as grape-seeds.He said that nothing was disturbed. It was quite striking to see the baskets of fruits.Goddio suggested that one explanation could be that their survival was possible because they were kept underground, pointing out a possible funerary connotation.It's in this area that Goddio and his archaeologists discovered a large tumulus (a mound over graves), measuring approximately 60 m long by 8 m wide, and rich Greek funerary offerings.These dates back to the fourth century BC, when Thonis Heracleion was home to Greek merchants and mercenaries. At the mouth of Canopic Branch of the Nile, the city controlled access to Egypt. The city was opened to the Greeks during the late Pharaonic period. They built their own sanctuaries.Goddio described the tumulus as a type of island that is surrounded by channels. We found incredible bronze deposits in those channels, including many statuettes of Osiris, the ancient Egyptian fertility god.There was something completely different on that island. There were hundreds of ceramic deposits. Each one is better than the other. These are Attic-imported ceramics, with red-on-black figures.These finds are even more fascinating because of the large number of miniature ceramics, high-quality Ancient Greek examples, and amphorae beneath the tumulus. Around the tumulus were bronze artifacts, including statuettes and mirrors.Goddio also discovered evidence of extensive burning, suggesting that this was a dramatic ceremony that prevented people from returning to the site. It seems to have been sealed for hundreds and years, as none of the artifacts found were older than the fourth century. The city survived for many hundred years.He said that there was something very odd about this site. This site was used once, but it has never been touched again. It is a mystery.He hopes to find answers in some of the treasures that include the well-preserved remains a wooden sofa for banquets, an Attic vase, and a gold amulet with exquisite quality.The archaeologists found a 25-metre long, unique Ptolemaic galley located 350 meters away. It was built in the classical style, with mortise and tenon joints. However, it also has features of ancient Egyptian construction with a flat bottomed design. This would have been ideal for navigation in the Nile or in the Delta.Goddio heads the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology. This is in close collaboration with Egypt's ministry of tourism, antiquities, and the Hilti Foundation. These finds will be preserved and studied before being displayed in museums.There is great potential for more discoveries. Goddio estimates that less than 3% of the area has been discovered so far, despite repeated excavations in the last two decades.
