New artifacts from Cleopatra's Palace

Here are more discoveries from Cleopatra's Palace, now sunken off the coast of Alexandria:

www.dailymail.co.uk...

Divers in the waters off Alexandria today recovered stunning artefacts from the submerged ruins of a palace and temple complex belonging to Egyptian queen Cleopatra.
The international team is painstakingly excavating one of the richest underwater archaeological sites in the world, and retrieving amazing riches from the last dynasty to rule over ancient Egypt before the Roman Empire annexed it in 30BC.

"Colossal discovery: This quartzite block has an engraving of a pharaoh, indicated by hieroglyphic inscriptions on the stone as Seti I, father of Ramses II" D.Mail:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0bf62ee8dfe7.jpg[/atsimg]

"2,500 years old: A statuette of a boy pharaoh dating from the 5th century BC lies among other artefacts brought to the surface from an underwater excavation of a palace and temples of Cleopatra" D. Mail:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c1e5e47288f1.jpg[/atsimg]

I haven't quoted the article in full and there a couple more pictures I haven't posted.

Here is some history on the discovery:
www.underwater-pictures.com...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bd6d17303b42.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 26-5-2010 by berenike]

Here is the history of Cleopatra VII:
www.touregypt.net...

Cleopatra coins:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/dcc9554080e4.jpg[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/59e01b2c6cf0.jpg[/atsimg]

Mark Anthony and Cleopatra:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/34214fbbac43.jpg[/atsimg]

Cleopatra:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/85c9097572dc.jpg[/atsimg]

Mark Anthony:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/77822416d71e.jpg[/atsimg]

Caesar:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1310600f550d.jpg[/atsimg]


[edit on 26-5-2010 by berenike]

I find this topic very interesting. Given the coins, and the profile of Cleo, she sure does not look anything like Elizabeth Taylor.

I tend to think she was more brains than beauty!

Originally posted by Blanca Rose

I tend to think she was more brains than beauty!

Hee! A lot of us carry that burden

reply to post by berenike
Good thread as usual Berenike

I've got two points to make...

#1 I wish you'd stop making me read Daily Mail articles!

#2 Cleopatra was fugly. If a commissioned artist can only do that much, she must have been a real kicker. Face like a bag of spanners.

reply to post by Kandinsky


I'd hate to be you sometimes - caught between the Daily Mail and Dr Hawass.




Here is the story on the MSNBC news - a slide show is included in this article:

www.msnbc.msn.com...

Tuesday's dive explored the sprawling palace and temple complex where Cleopatra, the last of Egypt's Greek-speaking Ptolemaic rulers, seduced the Roman general Mark Antony before they committed suicide upon their defeat by Octavian, the future Roman Emperor Augustus.

Dives have taken Goddio and his team to some of the key scenes in the dramatic lives of the couple, including the Timonium, commissioned by Antony after his defeat as a place where he could retreat from the world, though he killed himself before it was completed.

They also found a colossal stone head believed to be of Caesarion, son of Cleopatra and previous lover Julius Caesar, and two sphinxes, one of them probably representing Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII.

And here is a list of the Ptolemaic Dynasty - there are a couple of little beauties in the family tree:

www.narmer.pl...

Berenice II
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/91007beb7c1f.jpg[/atsimg]

Cleopatra II
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/05bc54c85ce8.jpg[/atsimg]

Berenice IV
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5604c50bde8b.gif[/atsimg]



[edit on 26-5-2010 by berenike]