Found: Riches From a Queen
Article
Photo credit: AP Photo / Franck Goddio & Hilti Foundation / Christoph Gerigk
Scientists are studying Queen Cleopatra's palace. It is under the sea near Alexandria,
Egypt.
ALEXANDRIA, Egypt (Achieve3000, July 23, 2010). In the waters off Alexandria,
Egypt, there is treasure. The Mediterranean Sea harbors the ruins of temples and a
palace. The ancient Egyptian Queen Cleopatra ruled from these buildings until 30 BCE.
Divers have been exploring the ruins since the 1990s. They're learning more about
Egypt's last pharaoh.
The palace is different from many ancient ruins. That's because it is in good condition.
People have destroyed many other ancient sites. Often, statues and other objects are cut
or smashed to pieces. That wasn't the case with Alexandria's Royal Quarters. Hundreds of
years ago, large earthquakes took place. The quakes caused the buildings to slide into the
sea. After the second quake, everyone moved away and the port remained unused. As a
result, many of the palace's treasures are not broken. They haven't aged much either.
Sediment protects them from the salt water.
Franck Goddio is an underwater archaeologist from France. Goddio and his team found
the palace in the 1990s. They used special tools to take underwater pictures of the ruins.
Then, they mapped the seabed. The special tools were needed because it was difficult to
see through the cloudy water.
In the years since they first mapped the area, Goddio and his team have discovered a
wide range of items. The harbor contains coins and everyday objects. It has huge granite
statues of Egypt's ancient rulers. There are also temples once built for Egyptian gods.
Goddio has spent two decades searching for shipwrecks and lost cities below the sea. His
team members are now carefully uncovering the ruins. They are turning up stunning
objects from Egypt's last dynasty.
Every time Goddio and his team dive into the murky water, they find something new.
Each find is part of the story of Cleopatra. Often called a queen, she was Egypt's last
pharaoh. (The Roman Empire's army took over Egypt in 30 BCE.) On one trip, divers
found a huge stone head. It's believed to be of Caesarion, the son of Cleopatra. They also
found two statues. One of them probably represents Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII. On
another dive, archaeologists explored the Timonium. This building was built by the
Roman General Marc Antony. He was a great friend of Cleopatra's. Antony used the
Timonium as a retreat after losing a war to Octavian. (Octavian later became the Roman
Emperor Augustus.)
Finds from Cleopatra's palace can be seen at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. They
are part of the show. It is called "Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt."
The objects will remain in Philadelphia until January 2, 2011. They will then be sent to
several other North American cities.
Information for this story came from AP.
Dictionary
archaeologist (noun) someone who finds and studies things from the past
dynasty (noun) line of rulers who come from the same family
pharaoh (noun) an ancient Egyptian ruler
sediment (noun) matter settled at the bottom of liquid
temple (noun) a place where people go to talk to their god or gods