More than 4000 pieces salvaged from ancient sunken cities off Alexandria
Egypt, History, 2/14/2002

Egypt owns two thirds of the world's submerged antiquities besides one third of ground antiquities, a fact which increases the value of human heritage owned by Egypt, said Ibrahim Darwish Director of The Submerged Antiquities Administration at a symposium sponsored by the Royal Jewellery Museum.

He said that efforts exerted by the administration in collaboration with foreign missions in Egypt had yielded much fruit leading to many finds.

He reviewed finds made since l992 till 200l mentioning Heracium city and harbour at east Alexandria which includes a whole sunken city and a harbour which played a marked role in flourishing ancient Egypt's foreign trade with world countries.

A granite stela bearing hieroglyphic inscriptions revealing taxes and duties at Heracium harbour was among the finds.

The city which dates back to the 4th century BC has been sunk since the Pharaonic age i.e before the establishment of Alexandria itself.

These old cities represented a special significance in Egypt's foreign trade with many African countries in the south and European in the north, said Darwish.

Such finds he said were of special significance since they were complete cities and not dispersed items.

He added that the efforts so far exerted resulted in lifting more than 4000 pieces from the Mediterranean seabed and a cargo of a sunken ship in the Red Sea.

Previous Stories:
  5200-Year- old tomb unearthed in khazendaria mountain   (2/12/2002)
  Archaeological committee inspects king Ramses' temple in Akhmim, Sohag   (2/11/2002)
  Akhenaten's sarcophagus finally back home   (2/4/2002)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search