The Egyptian-Dominican archaeological mission, led by Kathleen Martinez and the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, has made significant discoveries at the Taposiris Magna Temple near Alexandria on Sunday 8 December.
Excavations revealed a number of Late Ptolemaic funerary and ritual artifacts beneath the temple’s southern wall.
Key finds include a white marble statue of a woman, possibly Cleopatra VII, and a half-length statue of a king in a Nemes headdress.
While Martinez suggests the statue may depict Cleopatra, some experts argue its features align more with a Ptolemaic princess.
The mission also uncovered 337 coins featuring Cleopatra, along with ritual pottery, oil lamps, and bronze statues.
A bronze ring dedicated to the goddess Hathor and a scarab amulet inscribed with “The Justice of Ra has risen” were among the notable artifacts.
These discoveries help date the temple’s construction to the 1st century BCE.
Additionally, remnants of a 4th-century BCE Greek temple and two significant tombs were uncovered, one containing nine marble statues.
Preliminary underwater excavations revealed human skeletons and pottery, emphasizing the site’s cultural importance.
