Headless and Legless Statue Recovered from the Mediterranean: "2,000-Year-Old Ancient Artifact"

Buildings Included Among Underwater Ruins
Parts of Statues Found Missing

An ancient artifact believed to be 2,000 years old was recovered from the northern Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt. On August 22, Yonhap News, citing DPA and AFP, reported that Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities discovered and began retrieving four artifacts dating back approximately 2,000 years using a crane in the waters near Abu Qir Bay, close to the northern port city of Alexandria. Among the artifacts raised that day was a 2.17-meter granite statue, estimated to be from the Ptolemaic dynasty (305 BC-30 BC), which was missing its head and legs.

An ancient artifact believed to be 2,000 years old was recovered from the northern Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt. Photo by Xinhua News Agency and Yonhap News Agency

Since 2023, Egypt has been conducting an excavation project to uncover the ancient sunken city in Abu Qir Bay. However, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities explained that the newly discovered site appears to be a city extending from the sunken city of Thonis-Heracleion. These two cities, which were previously known only through ancient Greek tragedies, travel tales, and legends, were first discovered in 1999 by a French excavation team on the seabed of Abu Qir Bay, where the Nile River meets the Mediterranean Sea.

The underwater ruins discovered this time also include buildings. These structures are believed to have served as places of worship, residential spaces, or commercial facilities. In addition, a reservoir thought to have been used for storing drinking water and a pond carved out of rock were found. Notably, statues of royalty from the pre-Roman Empire period and a sphinx were also discovered. Part of a sphinx inscribed with a cartouche, the oval containing the name of Ramses II, one of the ancient pharaohs, was also found. Of the three statues recovered from the water, many had certain parts missing. The Ptolemaic statue made of granite was missing its head, while the marble statue of a Roman noble had lost its lower body.

Among the artifacts discovered this time, a total of three statues often had certain parts missing. Photo by Shin Hwa News Agency and Yonhap News Agency

DPA reported that this recovery marks the first time in 24 years, since 2001, that artifacts have been retrieved from underwater in this area. Sherif Pati, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, stated, "There are many artifacts underwater, but only a limited number can be brought up," adding, "Only artifacts made of specific materials can be retrieved according to strict standards, while the rest will remain as part of the submerged heritage."