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Research Sheds Light On Ancient Egyptian Port And Ship Graveyard
Past Horizons ^ | Tuesday, March 26, 2013 | unattributed

Posted on 03/29/2013 9:49:41 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

New research into Thonis-Heracleion, a sunken port-city that served as the gateway to Egypt in the first millennium BC, was examined at a recent international conference at the University of Oxford. The port city, situated 6.5 kilometres off today’s coastline, was one of the biggest commercial hubs in the Mediterranean before the founding of Alexandria...

This obligatory port of entry, known as ‘Thonis’ by the Egyptians and ‘Heracleion’ by the Greeks, was where seagoing ships are thought to have unloaded their cargoes to have them assessed by temple officials and taxes extracted before transferring them to Egyptian ships that went upriver. In the ports of the city, divers and researchers are currently examining 64 Egyptian ships, dating between the eighth and second centuries BC, many of which appear to have been deliberately sunk. Researchers say the ships were found beautifully preserved, in the mud of the sea-bed. With 700 examples of different types of ancient anchor, the researchers believe this represents the largest nautical collection from the ancient world...

“One of the key questions is why several ship graveyards were created about one mile from the mouth of the River Nile. Ship 43 appears to be part of a large cluster of at least ten other vessels in a large ship graveyard,” explained Dr Robinson. “This might not have been simple abandonment, but a means of blocking enemy ships from gaining entrance to the port-city. Seductive as this interpretation is, however, we must also consider whether these boats were sunk simply to use them for land reclamation purposes.”

(Excerpt) Read more at pasthorizonspr.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: alexandria; egypt; franckgoddio; godsgravesglyphs; heracleion; thonis; thonisheracleion
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The stele of Thonis-Heracleion (1.90m) had been ordered by Pharaoh Nectanebo I (378-362 BC) and is almost identical to the stele of Naukratis in the Egyptian Museum of Cairo. The place where it was supposed to be erected is explicitly mentioned: Thonis-Heracleion. ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation, photo: Christoph Gerigk

Research Sheds Light On Ancient Egyptian Port And Ship Graveyard

1 posted on 03/29/2013 9:49:41 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...

 GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach
Hi, just a test ping to see if the doubling/tripling problem has been solved.

Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.


2 posted on 03/29/2013 9:50:38 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

“The port city, situated 6.5 kilometres off today’s coastline”

So has the sea risen or did the port sink? That stele is in remarkable condition. Good post.


3 posted on 03/29/2013 9:54:17 AM PDT by Parley Baer
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To: SunkenCiv

This got me thinking about if they ever found chariots in the Red Sea. Appears they found wheels, if true.


4 posted on 03/29/2013 10:04:55 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: SunkenCiv

Thank you. It’s great to see one of these again!


5 posted on 03/29/2013 10:08:18 AM PDT by Pollster1
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To: ilovesarah2012

Yes, they found them, along with pillars on both sides of the crossing to commemorate the event: anchorstone.com


6 posted on 03/29/2013 10:09:57 AM PDT by Salvavida (The restoration of the U.S.A. starts with filling the pews at every Bible-believing church.)
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To: Salvavida

Thanks.


7 posted on 03/29/2013 10:12:13 AM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: SunkenCiv

Now this really IS a sunken civ...great post...thanks!


8 posted on 03/29/2013 12:14:21 PM PDT by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they must.)
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To: SunkenCiv

bttt


9 posted on 03/29/2013 12:21:11 PM PDT by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life :o)
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To: SunkenCiv

-——One of the key questions-——

After the inspection by the insurers and the vessel was declared to be un seaworthy, the vessels were placed in the grave yard for salvage of hardware and other items of use.


10 posted on 03/29/2013 12:21:39 PM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 .....The fairest Deduction to be reduced is the Standard Deduction)
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To: SunkenCiv

Wow, awesome stele. You’ve got to love soft mud!


11 posted on 03/29/2013 12:28:52 PM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: SunkenCiv

Wow, seeing the GGG logo again is like the rediscovery of an ancient civilization. It fills me with awe and delight.


12 posted on 03/29/2013 12:52:14 PM PDT by wildbill (You're just jealous because the Voices talk only to me.)
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To: Parley Baer

It’s not known for sure, but the best guess is, a big quake in the Middle Ages (the one that knocked down the Pharos) caused the soil under some of those coastal towns slide north, taking the whole works into the drink.


13 posted on 03/29/2013 4:41:42 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: wildbill; Pharmboy

Thanks! Maybe the pings can resume.


14 posted on 03/29/2013 4:42:05 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: ilovesarah2012

This port is in the Mediterranean, not the Red Sea. And no, wheels have not been found. One of the crockumentary makers had a brass wheel made to take some footage of a chariot wheel on the bottom; there’s also some modern machinery from 19th- and 20- century wrecks and things. No chariots.


15 posted on 03/29/2013 4:42:47 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: bert

That many ships, I would guess that they got swamped by the backsplash after the liquefaction slide of the towns. The dating of the vessels will tell one way or the other.


16 posted on 03/29/2013 4:45:33 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: 1010RD

It’s in great shape!


17 posted on 03/29/2013 4:45:49 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: Pollster1; 240B; 75thOVI; Adder; albertp; asgardshill; At the Window; bitt; blu; BradyLS; ...

My pleasure, maybe it’s time to resume the pings. Not sure I’ll resume the Digest, but might in an abbreviated different form.


18 posted on 03/29/2013 4:46:56 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

I saw a site that showed what looked like wheels.


19 posted on 03/29/2013 4:50:45 PM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: ilovesarah2012

As I said, there’s some machinery from modern (100-150 years) wrecks. Wood submerged in shallow seawater, even if buried, would not survive 3450 years, and yet a web search will turn up all kinds of claims that even the axles are intact.


20 posted on 03/29/2013 5:38:24 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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