The Egyptian-Dominican archaeological mission, led by Kathleen Martinez in collaboration with the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, has unveiled significant finds at the Taposiris Magna Temple, located west of Alexandria. Beneath the southern wall of the temple’s outer perimeter, foundation deposits were unearthed, revealing a wealth of funerary and ritual objects from the Late Ptolemaic period.
Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), highlighted some key discoveries, including a white marble statue of a woman adorned with a royal crown and a half-length statue of a king wearing the Nemes headdress.
Kathleen Martinez has suggested that the marble statue might represent Queen Cleopatra VII. However, some archaeologists disagree, noting that its facial features differ significantly from known depictions of Cleopatra, making it more plausible that the statue depicts a princess from the Ptolemaic dynasty.
The mission also uncovered 337 coins, many featuring Queen Cleopatra VII’s image, alongside ritual pottery, oil lamps, limestone containers, bronze statues, and an array of other artifacts. Among these was a bronze ring dedicated to the goddess Hathor and an amulet shaped like a scarab inscribed with the phrase, “The Justice of Ra has risen.” These discoveries, coupled with pottery shards and vessels, have dated the temple’s construction to the 1st century BCE.
The mission unearthed remnants of a 4th-century BCE Greek-era temple that was destroyed between the 2nd century BCE and the early Common Era. This structure lies near an intricate tunnel system connecting Lake Mariout to the Mediterranean Sea.
Additional findings include a large tomb with 20 chambers and another tomb beneath the ancient Taposiris Magna lighthouse. The latter contains three rooms, one of which held nine marble half-length statues and various artifacts.
Preliminary underwater excavations around the submerged parts of the Taposiris Magna Temple revealed human skeletons and a large collection of pottery. These findings emphasize the cultural and historical importance of the site, which continues to offer insights into the region’s rich past.
