A rare bronze seal ring bearing an image of the ancient Pharos Lighthouse has been discovered during underwater excavations in Alexandria’s Eastern Harbor, offering new insight into the city’s royal and administrative history.
The remarkable ring was found at Antirhodos, part of ancient Alexandria’s royal quarter in the area known as Portus Magnus.
Archaeologists say the engraved image resembles depictions of the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria found on coins dating to the second century AD.
Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities described the discovery as particularly significant, with Hisham El Leithy saying it is the first known seal ring discovered with an image of the Pharos Lighthouse.
The Pharos Lighthouse was one of the most celebrated monuments of the ancient Mediterranean. Built on the island of Pharos beside Alexandria, it became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and stood as a symbol of the city’s importance as a centre of the Hellenistic world.
Ancient Greek Alexandria revealed beneath the sea
The discovery was made during the latest underwater archaeological campaign in Alexandria’s Eastern Harbor, where substantial parts of the ancient city now lie beneath the Mediterranean.
The excavation is being conducted by the European Institute of Underwater Archaeology in cooperation with Egypt’s General Department of Underwater Archaeology.
Four archaeological areas are currently being investigated, including the Temple of Isis, the palace and western hill on the royal island of Antirhodos, the remains of an obelisk and the Timonium, also known as the Palace of Antony.
The excavations have produced pottery dating from the fourth century BC through to the fourth century AD, along with amphoras, vessels, bottles, oil lamps and fragments of glassware.
The finds provide evidence of centuries of activity in Alexandria, from the Hellenistic period through the Roman era.
Ring could reveal new role for royal palace
The bronze seal ring could also shed light on the later history of the Antirhodos palace.
The Greek historian and geographer Strabo visited Egypt between 29 and 25 BC and described Alexandria and its royal quarter.
The new discovery raises the possibility that the palace complex continued to serve an administrative role well into the second century AD.
Egyptian authorities said one possible function may have been connected with activities involving the administration or management of the lighthouse.
The connection remains a possibility rather than a confirmed conclusion, but the ring provides a rare physical link between Alexandria’s royal district and one of the ancient world’s most famous monuments.
A monument remembered through a tiny object
The discovery is striking because the image of the enormous Pharos Lighthouse survived on a small personal object.
The lighthouse once dominated Alexandria’s harbour, guiding ships into one of the most important ports of the ancient Mediterranean. Its image on the bronze ring shows how deeply the monument was embedded in the identity and administration of the ancient city.
The underwater mission, led by Frank Goddio, director of the European Institute of Underwater Archaeology, is continuing its work documenting Alexandria’s submerged archaeological remains.
After the current excavations in the Eastern Harbor are completed, the mission is scheduled to begin further work in Abu Qir Bay.
The bronze seal ring now stands among the latest discoveries helping archaeologists reconstruct the history of ancient Alexandria, where much of the city’s extraordinary past remains hidden beneath the sea.
