Archaeologists find 2200-year-old ancient Egyptian shipwreck in Mediterranean Sea

Archaeologists have discovered the 2,200-year-old wreckage of an ancient Egyptian ship that sank after being hit by massive pieces from the famous Amun temple. The wreck was discovered beneath the Mediterranean Sea in Thonis-Heracleion, a long-submerged city, which plummeted into the water about 1,200 years ago after being wrecked by earthquakes.

'Fast Galley' was used to cross the Nile River and the Delta

The ship, known as a 'fast galley', is 25 metres long and has a flat keel, which was customary for crossing the Nile River and the Delta, according to experts. The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology said in a statement that it sank after being hit by enormous chunks from the legendary temple of Amun, which was completely demolished during a disastrous event in the second century B.C.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities declared in a statement on July 19 that the disastrous event was most likely an earthquake. The galley is currently buried behind a layer of clay and rubble from the temple, measuring slightly over 16 feet.

The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology's head, Franck Goddio, said in a statement that the findings of fast galleys from this period are exceptionally unusual. The ship was built using the mortise-and-tenon method, which involves inserting protrusions called tenons into mortises cut into pieces of wood.

A gold amulet of an Egyptian god also discovered

Archaeologists also discovered a 2,400-year-old burial place near the sunken city. The researchers discovered ornately decorated crockery, including one with waves painted on it. A gold amulet portraying Bes, an Egyptian god associated with childbirth and fertility, was also discovered by archaeologists. Images of the god were sometimes utilised by ancient Egyptians to protect little children and mothers giving birth. A massive tumulus, a mound of rocks used to indicate the place of burials in the ancient world, was erected over the burial area.

According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the discovery beautifully indicates the presence of Greek merchants in that location. According to the Ministry, Greeks settled in the area throughout the late Pharaonic dynasties and constructed their own sanctuaries near the massive Amun temple. All were later destroyed by earthquakes, and their ruins can still be found.

Image- Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/ Facebook