Ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine artifacts were unearthed in a district of Alexandria, Egypt

The Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced last week that in Muharram Bek, a neighborhood of Alexandria, a collection of artifacts from the Ptolemaic to the Byzantine periods has been discovered during the excavation. This particular discovery shows a change in the nature of the population in different periods throughout history. 

Among the artifacts, three major statues of Greek and Roman deities were also found, listed here. 

• Bacchus, who is a Roman god of wine and revelry 
• Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine 
• Wisdom goddess Minerva’s headless statue; she is a Roman deity.

With all these statues, several coins, pottery, lamps, vessels, and fragments of amphorae were also found in the excavation. All the items unearthed depict the flourishing nature of ancient Alexandria’s commerce and its deeply rooted connections with the surrounding regions and the Mediterranean world. 

According to the secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Hisham El-Leithy, the most impressive discovery at the site was a circular public bath that belongs to the Ptolemaic era. With that, the remains of mosaic flooring in a Roman villa say a lot about the infrastructure of that time. 

The head of the Egyptian Antiquities Sector, who is part of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Mohamed Abdel Badi has said the discovery depicts a comprehensive model of residential and service architecture in the neighborhood of Alexandria and mostly tells about the development stage. 

The discoveries in Alexandria are helping archaeologists better understand what the ancient city originally looked like. Experts are using these findings together with old research and maps created by 19th-century Egyptian cartographer Mahmoud Bey al-Falaki to rebuild the historical layout of ancient Alexandria more accurately.

Then the head of the Central Administration of Lower Egypt Antiquities, Hisham Hussein, explained that the excavation was important because the southern part of Alexandria had not been studied in depth before by archaeologists. These newly found artifacts are helping in understanding and also filling the gaps in the historical information about the particular area, which was once part of an active city until the Byzantine period. 

In detail, then, Hisham Hussein explained that the major discoveries in recent times prove this area was once an important part of ancient Alexandria and remained connected to the city until the Byzantine period. However, over time, the area became less important as the city’s layout and development changed, and it got cut off from the city. 

Sherif Fathy, the minister of Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities, has said that Alexandria was one of the most important parts of the historical metropolises. This major discovery of a collection, it reflects that the city is one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world. The head of the archaeological mission and director of the central district have stated that restoration work for artifacts has already started and is being performed by the professionals, and soon proper research will be transferred. 

He also stated that recently found items are going to be placed at the Greco-Roman Museum in Alexandria after their complete preservation process. Also, the excavations will be continuing on the site and may, in the future, reveal something more from ancient times that can be found.  

Conclusion 

This recent discovery from the Byzantine period reflects that Alexandria has not been much explored in recent years, but now that excavations have started, historians may get to know about the historical times a lot. The continuous excavation shows that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ focus is on evolving the history through continuous efforts for the discoveries to better understand the ancient times. So, for such updates about travel or for inquiries related to Nile cruises, follow us and feel free to contact us. 

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