Ever heard of the city of Heracleion? Not many people have, and since the city has been under thirty feet of water, sand and silt, it’s no surprise. The city was discovered by French underwater archaeologist, Dr. Franck Goddio back in 2000; however the excavation has been going on since and new discoveries are being made on this lost city. The city is located on the Mediterranean Sea in Aboukir Bay, near Alexandria.
Dr. Goddio and his team are finding that this lost city used to be a big international trade hub, and could have been a very important religious center. In fact the research that this team is finding suggests that Heracleion was a mandatory port for trade between the Mediterranean and the Nile. Various artifacts such as religious statues, sarcophagi, and stone sculptures, just to name a few have been discovered. While excavating, the team discovered sixty-four shipwrecks, and over 700 anchors in the sediment located around the city.
Archaeologists are amazed by how well preserved these artifacts are for being on the sea floor for so long. However, the sediment seems to be acting as a protective covering to help with preservation. These archaeologists are amazed with such a monumental discovery, but the one question that has yet to be answered is, why did the city sink in the first place? The excavation team seems to think that with all of the weight of the stone buildings and sculptures, to region of the sediment could just not handle the weight. With this, the team also believes that an earthquake was the last straw for the city, and lead to the sinking. However, this is all speculation and the answer still remains a mystery.