Ancient Image of the Lighthouse of Alexandria Found on Bronze Ring
Lighthouse of Alexandria appears on a rare ancient bronze ring found underwater in Egypt, offering a glimpse of the lost Wonder of the Ancient World.
A tiny bronze ring recovered from the submerged ruins of Alexandria has revealed a rare image of one of the ancient world’s greatest lost monuments: the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
Underwater archaeologists found the seal ring at Antirhodos, a former royal island in Alexandria’s Eastern Harbour. The ring carries a small image of the famous lighthouse, which once stood at the entrance to the city’s harbor.
The Lighthouse of Alexandria ranked among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Researchers say this may be the first known image of the monument found on a seal ring.
A Lighthouse Lost to Earthquakes
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built on the nearby island of Pharos during the third century BC, during the reign of Ptolemy II. Rising more than 100 meters, it guided ships toward one of the Mediterranean’s most important ports. The enormous structure survived for centuries before a series of earthquakes gradually damaged it. By the late Middle Ages, the lighthouse had disappeared, and a fortress was eventually built on the site using some of its surviving stone.
Because the lighthouse no longer survives, small images on ancient objects are important for understanding how the monument looked. The newly discovered ring provides another example, but in an unusual form.
A Ring From Alexandria’s Royal Quarter
The ring came from Antirhodos, which once formed part of Alexandria’s royal quarter. A palace stood on the island, along with other buildings connected to the city’s rulers. The Greek geographer Strabo described the area when he visited Egypt near the end of the first century BC.
The ring raises an interesting possibility. Its owner may have had a connection to the administration of the lighthouse or the nearby harbor. Researchers cannot confirm who owned the ring or why it carried the lighthouse. For now, that connection remains a possibility.
A City Beneath the Water
The ring is one of several discoveries from the latest underwater excavations in Alexandria’s Eastern Harbour. Archaeologists are investigating four areas, including the Temple of Isis, the remains of the Antirhodos palace, an obelisk and the Timonium, a palace complex associated with Mark Antony. They have also recovered pottery and glass dating from the fourth century BC to the fourth century AD. The finds include everyday vessels, amphoras, bottles, oil lamps and tableware.
Much of ancient Alexandria’s waterfront disappeared beneath the Mediterranean after earthquakes, changes in sea level and other natural processes. Today, underwater archaeologists are gradually documenting what remains of the city’s royal and harbor districts. Among those ruins, the small bronze ring offers an unusually personal connection to the lost lighthouse. Someone once wore it, carrying a miniature image of a monument that dominated Alexandria’s harbor for centuries. The lighthouse itself is gone, but its image has survived in bronze beneath the sea.
