Latest News from Ancient Egypt by Franck Goddio
What’s going on in Thonis-Heracleion
In January, maritime archaeologist Franck Goddio has been live at Hilti. Via livestream, he gave interesting insights into his amazing work and shared latest developments from Ancient Egypt on the ongoing excavations of Thonis-Heracleion, located seven kilometers from the current coast of Egypt. For centuries, this city was Egypt's largest port on the Mediterranean before Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in 331 BC.
Enjoy the livestream’s recording - keynote with Q&A:
Exploring the past to understand the present
Since 1996, the Hilti Foundation has been supporting underwater excavations in and near Alexandria under the direction of Franck Goddio and the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
A priest carrying an Osiris-Canopus and two sphinxes, eastern harbor of Alexandria.
Photo: C. Gerigk, (c) Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
Through meticulous sounding using the most modern technical equipment available at that time, Franck Goddio and his team achieved to locate the legendary Portus Magnus, the ancient port of Alexandria in 1996. Four years later, they discovered the sunken ancient city of Thonis-Heracleion.
Over the years, not only the sounding technique as such, but also the excavation and documentation methods have been continuously developed. Goddio’s underwater archaeological work has become increasingly focused, allowing evidence of the past to be more specifically located and examined.
Thonis-Heracleion, the sunken ancient city
Reconstruction of the seaport of Thonis-Heracleion, crisscorssed by canals and basins, with its egyptian temples and harbor instaallations. Representation of the city around the 3rd century BC. Artist rendering by Yann Bernard
Thonis-Heracleion was Egypt’s largest port on the Mediterranean for centuries before Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in 331 BC. Several earthquakes, followed by tidal waves causing land liquefaction, caused a 110-square-kilometer portion of the Nile Delta to completely collapse under the sea, taking the city with it. Goddio and his team have now located under the sea the remains of Thonis-Heracleion – seven kilometers from the current coast of Egypt.
Maritime Archaeology and the Hilti Foundation
Photo: Christoph Gerigk, (c) Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
The Hilti family’s early engagement of supporting Franck Goddio’s work has been somehow the starting point for the Hilti Foundation. This long-term commitment has enabled Goddio to revolutionize maritime archaeology with innovative research and documentation techniques. As a result, he has succeeded in rediscovering fascinating sites and sunken cities that had been considered lost for centuries.
By supporting the work of Franck Goddio and the IEASM for over 25 years, the Hilti Foundation has made a lasting contribution to innovation in underwater archaeological research. Associated with the goal of making the results accessible to both the scientific community and the broader public.