Mission Report 2000-2003

The on-going excavations in Alexandria’s Eastern Harbour have con-tinued to uncover valuable material for the understanding of this im-portant ancient port.

The geophysical data gathered has been charted onto a new map, which is significantly different from all other previous maps both an-cient and modern. The map provides valuable new information for archaeologists and Egyptologists alike.

The first topographic map of the harbour was created in 1866 by Mahmud el-Falaki. It was based on texts by Strabo, Julius Caesar, Flavius Josephus and Pliny the Elder, among others. Subsequent maps of the 19th and 20th centuries have all been largely based on this first map. Strabo mentioned that shipyards “the NAVALIA” were located in the western part of the “PORTUS MAGNUS” As a matter of fact, Goddio’s work up to 2000 has shown important foundations and port structures in the western part. Excavations over the past years have continued to study those structures, including a pot which was close to the “hepastadium” and could have been a kind of “transit” port.

In 2001 Franck Goddio was able to present for the first time the com-plete map of the sunken quarters of Alexandria an of the Navalia. The map was presented to the public for the exhibition ‘Cleopatra of Egypt: From History to Myth’ in the British Museum, London.

Over the past couple of years, in the eastern part of the harbour, work has been focusing on various sections within the port as well as con-tinuoulsy on the Peninsula. The Peninsula is approx. 350 metres long and has four harbours. One of the jetties ends in a 50 meter long paved esplanade -- where a temple was built by Mark Anthony: the Timonium.

Recent excavations have uncovered great limestone walkways at the base of the peninsula, strewn with fallen red granite columns. Here a temple should have been erected according to the ancient texts, and in fact some gold jewellery was discovered. The style of architectural remains and atefacts is of the 1st and 2nd century AD. These discover-ies could correspond to renovation or a reconstruction done in Roman times of the Poseidon temple.

The large jetties of the eastern harbour were built with the aid of in-genious techniques involving wooden caissons. These constructions are part of a 2nd to 3rd century AD reworking of the port and are pro-viding valuable insight into ancient construction technology. The an-cient texts also suggest a great market may have been situated on the quay of the Peninsula, which may provide valuable clues for un-derstanding international trade connections. These aspects will re-main in the focus of the on-going archaeological studies. Current ex-cavations will hopefully continue to characterise the base of the large jetties in the port before any danger to the site from an encroaching construction of the Corniche Road along the modern shore line.

In 2003 the Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology was founded and works in close operation with Franck Goddio’s existing team. Post Graduate students join the archaeological missions in Alexandria and Heracleion contributing to the understanding of these ancient cites through doctoral theses.