Near the coast of Alexandria, an ancient pleasure vessel was discovered whose description matches the accounts of Strabo, the Greek historian of the 1st century BC.
Location and depth of the find
The ship was found near the submerged island of Antirhodos, which was once part of the great Alexandrian harbor. The work was carried out by a team from the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) under the direction of Frank Goddio, who is a visiting professor of marine archaeology at Oxford.
The vessel lay roughly seven meters underwater and beneath a layer of sediment about 1.5 meters thick. Initially, researchers suspected the presence of two ships because of the unusual construction of the recovered elements.
Information on religion and daily life
According to the analysis, a series of earthquakes and tsunamis caused the flooding of the port and adjacent stretches of coastline, submerging palaces, ships and other structures.
Work on the ship is still at an early stage, but the research could reveal information about everyday life, religious practices, displays of luxury and entertainment on Egypt’s waterways during the period of early Roman rule. In line with UNESCO guidelines, the site has been left underwater.
