Bronze Ring: Alexandria Lighthouse Image Found in Harbor
A seal ring engraved with the Pharos lighthouse was recovered from the submerged palace site of Antirhodos during an underwater excavation.
By Maya Morris ·
A bronze seal ring bearing an image of the ancient Pharos lighthouse was recovered from underwater off the coast of Alexandria. The Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Ministry announced the discovery earlier this month.
The Pharos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was built during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who ruled from 280 to 247 BCE. Estimates suggest the structure stood at least 100 meters high. Earthquakes between 956 CE and 1303 damaged the tower, leading to its abandonment. Its stones were reused in 1480 to build the Citadel of Qaitbay. French archaeologists located remains of the lighthouse in 1994, and parts of its foundation were brought to the surface in 2025 for a digital reconstruction.
The ring was found at the former island of Antirhodos, part of Alexandria's ancient royal eastern harbor. The island held a Ptolemaic palace and sank around the 4th century CE after an earthquake near Crete in 365 triggered further seismic activity and a tsunami. The site now lies about five meters below the surface.
Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, stated that this is the first time an image of the lighthouse has been found on a seal ring. He suggested the depiction indicates the Antirhodos palace remained in use for administrative purposes, including lighthouse matters, until the second century CE. The image matches portrayals of the structure on coins from that same period.
Franck Goddio, director of the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology, reported that the team also recovered pottery tableware, amphorae, flasks, and oil lamps dating from the 4th century BCE to the 4th century CE. Fragments of glass vessels from the same period were also found.
Goddio noted that current excavations focus on four locations in the eastern harbor area. These include the Temple of Isis, the palace site and western mound on the royal island of Antirhodos, the remains of the obelisk, and the Timonium, also known as Antony's palace.
Egyptian Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy praised the mission, saying the discoveries help deepen understanding of Alexandria's history.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
