The Egyptian-Dominican archaeological mission, led by Dr. Kathleen Martinez in collaboration with the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, has uncovered significant artifacts beneath the southern wall of the outer enclosure at the Taposiris Magna Temple, west of Alexandria.
Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, highlighted several remarkable discoveries, including a small white marble statue of a woman wearing a royal crown and a limestone bust of a king adorned with the “Nemes” headdress.
While Dr. Martinez believes the marble statue may depict Queen Cleopatra VII, other archaeologists suggest it likely represents a princess due to its facial features, which differ from those commonly associated with Cleopatra.
The mission also uncovered 337 coins, many bearing the image of Cleopatra VII, along with a variety of ritual pottery vessels, oil lamps, and limestone containers for food storage and cosmetic tools. Among the discoveries are bronze statues, a scarab-shaped amulet inscribed with the phrase “The justice of Ra has shone,” and a bronze ring dedicated to the goddess Hathor.
These artifacts, along with shards of pottery, date the temple’s construction to the late Ptolemaic period, specifically the 1st century BCE.
Dr. Martinez revealed that the mission also identified remains of a Greek-era temple from the 4th century BCE, which was destroyed between the 2nd century BCE and the beginning of the Common Era. This temple lies near a sophisticated tunnel system that connects Lake Mariout to the Mediterranean Sea.
Additionally, a large necropolis containing 20 catacombs and an ancient cemetery beneath the Taposiris Magna Lighthouse was discovered. Within one of its three chambers, the team found nine white marble busts and several other artifacts.
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