Egyptian authorities have made a groundbreaking discovery off Alexandria's coast, unearthing an ancient Egyptian pleasure boat that matches the description of the ones used by the royal court during the Roman Empire era.
Dating back to the first half of the 1st century AD, the 35-meter-long vessel was constructed to hold a central pavilion with a luxuriously decorated cabin. The find has sent shockwaves among archaeologists, who claim it's the first time such a boat has been discovered in Egypt.
The pleasure boat was unearthed off the submerged island of Antirhodos, which was part of ancient Alexandria's Portus Magnus. According to the Greek historian Strabo, these vessels were used by the royal court for excursions and crowded public festivals, where revelers would play music and dance without restraint.
Researchers believe that the boat could have sunk during the catastrophic destruction of the Temple of Isis around AD50. The wreck is remarkably well-preserved, with its timbers spanning 7 meters in breadth and requiring more than 20 rowers to operate.
Franck Goddio, a visiting professor at the University of Oxford, led the excavation team that made the remarkable discovery. He stated, "It's extremely exciting because it's the first time ever that such a boat has been discovered in Egypt." The find promises to reveal new insights into life, religion, luxury, and pleasure on ancient Roman Egypt's waterways.
The wreck will remain on the seabed, following UNESCO regulations, which advocate for preserving historical remains underwater. Excavations are set to resume in the area, where researchers claim only a tiny percentage of the coastline has been explored.
This remarkable discovery highlights the importance of archaeological research and its capacity to shed light on the lives of ancient civilizations.
Dating back to the first half of the 1st century AD, the 35-meter-long vessel was constructed to hold a central pavilion with a luxuriously decorated cabin. The find has sent shockwaves among archaeologists, who claim it's the first time such a boat has been discovered in Egypt.
The pleasure boat was unearthed off the submerged island of Antirhodos, which was part of ancient Alexandria's Portus Magnus. According to the Greek historian Strabo, these vessels were used by the royal court for excursions and crowded public festivals, where revelers would play music and dance without restraint.
Researchers believe that the boat could have sunk during the catastrophic destruction of the Temple of Isis around AD50. The wreck is remarkably well-preserved, with its timbers spanning 7 meters in breadth and requiring more than 20 rowers to operate.
Franck Goddio, a visiting professor at the University of Oxford, led the excavation team that made the remarkable discovery. He stated, "It's extremely exciting because it's the first time ever that such a boat has been discovered in Egypt." The find promises to reveal new insights into life, religion, luxury, and pleasure on ancient Roman Egypt's waterways.
The wreck will remain on the seabed, following UNESCO regulations, which advocate for preserving historical remains underwater. Excavations are set to resume in the area, where researchers claim only a tiny percentage of the coastline has been explored.
This remarkable discovery highlights the importance of archaeological research and its capacity to shed light on the lives of ancient civilizations.
7 meters wide timber frame is insane. glad they're preserving the wreck instead of bringing it up. still so much coastline left to explore, feels like we're just scratching the surface
this is like, seriously mind blown! i mean we're talking about royalty, festivals, music and dancing... it's like something out of a movie 
these egyptians knew how to live life to the fullest 
and now we get to learn more about it through archaeology 
i wanna know more about the people who sailed on it, their lives, what they did for fun... it's like uncovering a secret world 
but seriously, this discovery is huge and it's amazing that they were able to find such a well-preserved wreck. 20 rowers? 
can you imagine being on that boat back in the day, surrounded by all the luxury and extravagance? 
35 meters long is crazy too, i mean who needs that much space to party? 
seriously though, this discovery is so cool and it's giving me major nostalgia for ancient egypt 
can't wait to see more updates on how they're exploring the wreck! 
... Like, why haven't we found more stuff before?! Is there something they're hiding from us? 
I'm totally going to be keeping an eye on this excavation and seeing if any shady dealings go down. Stay tuned! 
. Just gotta wonder how they're so sure about the date... and the fact that it sank in AD50... 
, reminding us that even the most valuable things can be overlooked if we're not looking closely.
? It's like something out of a movie or a game, right? The fact that it matches the description of the royal court boats from the Roman Empire era is just mind-blowing 
It's crazy how much history is still down there beneath the surface. I'm literally dying to know more about this! 
! Like, I knew Egypt was gonna be all about the history, but this is crazy! The 35-meter-long vessel is straight out of a movie, with its central pavilion and super-decorated cabin 
. This is def a game-changer for our understanding of ancient Roman Egypt's waterways 
? The fact that it sank during the destruction of the Temple of Isis is like a mini history lesson right there