Underwater archaeologists excavating the submerged remains of an ancient royal palace off Alexandria, Egypt, have recovered a rare bronze signet ring bearing an engraving of the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria, officials announced. The artifact was pulled from the sunken island of Antirhodos by a joint expedition from the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology and Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, according to reports by Gizmodo and Live Science.
Researchers identified the object as a signet ring likely employed to press notary marks into soft clay or wax seals. The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology, known as IEASM, indicated that the bronze artifact is the first known signet ring ever found that bears an image of the Pharos lighthouse, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
An Imperial Center Beneath the Waves
The island of Antirhodos, located in Alexandria’s ancient Great Harbor, served as a royal seat for rulers during the Ptolemaic dynasty, which governed Egypt from 304 to 30 B.C. The entire island slipped beneath the sea after a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in 365 CE. French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio rediscovered the submerged landmass in 1996.
“The discovery of the ring-signet is even more important as it has been excavated in the legendary palace of the Island of Antirhodos, that once was a centre of power,” Goddio, who serves as president of IEASM, said in a statement. He noted that the palace complex housed offices responsible for “administrative functions, including the administration of the famous lighthouse.”
Built on the nearby island of Pharos around 280 B.C., the towering beacon was estimated to stand more than 328 feet tall before succumbing to earthquakes and coastal erosion over centuries. Historical accounts indicate the structure was topped by a statue holding an oil lamp to guide sailors into the harbor.
Scholars Identify Landmark Depiction
Although centuries underwater have worn the ring’s surface, specialists expressed confidence that the engraving portrays the celebrated landmark. Hisham el-Leithy, Egypt’s undersecretary of state for documentation in the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, stated that the depiction closely aligns with images appearing on coins minted in the second century.
Doris Behrens-Abouseif, an emeritus professor of art history and archaeology at the University of London, told Live Science that thousands of Alexandrian coins bearing similar lighthouse designs have been recovered from the Ptolemaic and Roman eras. Independent researcher Andrew Chugg told Live Science that an asymmetrical element at the monument’s peak on the ring “may depict a plume of smoke from the oil lamp in the hand of the crowning statue.”
Margaret Miles, an emeritus professor of art history and classics at the University of California, Irvine, also observed the possible smoke plume. Miles suggested the ring could have belonged to a local merchant who adopted the city’s most recognized architectural marvel as a personal emblem.
Next Steps for Undersea Research
The recovery adds to a long list of significant finds Goddio and his collaborators have retrieved from Antirhodos across three decades. Past expeditions have brought up a 550-pound granite sphinx, fragments of a marble sculpture of Hermes, a 100-foot shipwreck, and extensive collections of ancient jewelry and glassware.
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, archaeological teams will focus their upcoming work on four specific locations across the eastern harbor. Those planned excavations include the remains of a sarcophagus, additional quarters of the royal palace, and a temple dedicated to the goddess Isis.
