CAIRO, EGYPT—A six-foot-tall tunnel stretching for more than 4,000 feet has been discovered underneath a temple in the ancient city of Taposiris Magna, which is located on Egypt’s Mediterranean coastline, according to a Live Science report. The temple was dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god Osiris and his wife, the goddess Isis. Kathleen Martínez of the University of San Domingo explained that the tunnel, dated to the Ptolemaic period (304–30 B.C.), carried water to the people of the city. “[It] is an exact replica of Eupalinos Tunnel in Greece, which is considered as one of the most important engineering achievements of antiquity,” she explained. Within the tunnel, Martínez and her colleagues recovered two alabaster sculptures of heads, coins, and fragments of statues of Egyptian deities. To read about mummies unearthed in rock-cut tombs at Taposiris Magna, go to "Around the World: Egypt."
Tunnel Discovered at Egypt’s Ancient City of Taposiris Magna
News November 8, 2022
Recommended Articles
Digs & Discoveries November/December 2024
Egyptian Crocodile Hunt
Digs & Discoveries November/December 2024
A Pharaoh's Coffin
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2024
Sticking Their Necks Out
-
Features September/October 2022
1,000 Fathoms Down
In the Gulf of Mexico, archaeologists believe they have identified a nineteenth-century whaling ship crewed by a diverse group of New Englanders
(Courtesy the New Bedford Whaling Museum) -
Letter from Germany September/October 2022
Berlin's Medieval Origins
In the midst of modern construction, archaeologists search for evidence of the city’s earliest days
(Courtesy Landesdenkmalamt Berlin/Michael Malliaris) -
Artifacts September/October 2022
Nordic Bronze Age Figurine
(Courtesy Thomas Terberger) -
Digs & Discoveries September/October 2022
The Case of Tut's Missing Collar
(Courtesy Marc Gabolde)