Sunken Canopus Yields Ptolemaic-Roman Artifacts Near Alexandria

A trove of ancient artifacts recovered from a sunken city off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, sheds new light on a coastal metropolis that Thrived more than two millennia ago. Cranes and divers pulled statues, a sphinx, coins and other relics from the waters of Abu Qir Bay, an area believed to be an extension of the ancient city of Canopus. The finds, dating to the Ptolemaic era and the Roman period, provide a snapshot of urban life that disappeared beneath the Mediterranean when earthquakes and rising seas reshaped the coast. Only a portion of the material was recoverable under strict preservation rules; the rest will remain part of the nation’s submerged heritage as work continues to study and curate the collection.

The items recovered include life-size statues and representational figures, as well as architectural remains such as limestone buildings that may have served as places of worship or as residential and commercial spaces. The excavated harbor area features a 125-meter dock, a merchant ship, stone anchors and a harbor crane dating to the Ptolemaic and Roman eras. The ministry overseeing the discoveries described underwater ruins that also reveal functionally diverse...