An Egyptian-Dominican archaeologist mission of the University of Santo Domingo discovered a gallery of 1,305 meters from the Greco-Roman periodnear the Temple of Taposiris Magna, west of the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
In a statement on Thursday, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities explained that the tunnel, dug into the rock, it is two meters high and 13 meters underground.
The mission, led by archaeologist Kathleen Martínez, found the heads of two alabaster statues near the temple, one of which one person from the Ptolemaic period and the other probably a representation of the sphinx.
Martinez, who called the tunnel “an engineering miracle”he explained that “initial studies indicate that his architectural design is very similar to the Yubilino Tunnel project in Greece, but it is longer”.
Under the waters of the Mediterranean
He added that part of the tunnel has been discovered it is submerged by the waters of the Mediterraneanand that the mission found several ceramic vessels and jars, as well as a rectangular block of limestone under the mud sediments.
“Numerous archaeological evidence has shown that there is a part of the foundation of the Temple of Taposiris Magna that is submerged by water and the mission is working to bring it to light,” he added.
He also pointed out that, according to scientific sources, at least 23 earthquakes shook the Egyptian Mediterranean coast between 320 and 1303 AD, causing part of the Temple of Taposiris Magna to collapse and sink.
The Egyptian-Dominican mission reported in January discovery of 16 Greco-Roman catacombs with the respective mummies in the necropolis of Taposiris Magna, and which give clues to the characteristics of the mummification of the time.
The discoveries made so far show that the temple of Alexandria was built by King Ptolemy IV, who reigned from 221 BC to 204 BC
Kathleen Martínez has been conducting since 2005 in the architectural complex of Taposiris Magna, a tireless search for the tomb of Cleopatra, who, according to the story, committed suicide in the year 30 AD after her lover, the Roman general Marc Antony, bled to death in the le your arms.
EFE
Source: Clarin
