2,400-year-old baskets of fruit discovered in ancient Egyptian city under the sea

[Judi Lynn]

[e-mail] (Alia Shoaib) 2 hrs ago

Archaeologists have discovered a trove of ancient artifacts from the fourth century BCE, including wicker baskets filled with fruit and Greek ceramics.

The discoveries were made in the ruins of the sunken ancient city of Thonis-Heracleion, which was Egypt's largest Mediterranean port for centuries until Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in 331 BC.

The artifacts were found by a team of researchers from the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM), led by French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio, who discovered the ruins two decades ago.

Goddio told The Guardian that the discoveries were "incredible" and that the fruit baskets had been untouched for over 2,000 years.

"Nothing was disturbed," Goddio told The Guardian. "It was very striking to see baskets of fruits."

The wicker baskets were filled with doum, fruit from an African palm tree, and grape seeds.

Goddio theorized that the fruit might have been preserved because they were placed in an underground room, possibly with a funerary connotation, according to The Guardian.

The discoveries were made near the site of a large tumulus, a burial mound, which had been previously explored by the team.

The tumulus, which is 197 feet long and 26 feet wide, was "covered with sumptuous funerary offerings" dating back to the beginning of the fourth century BCE, the IEASM said, according to CNN.

The team described the tumulus as being like a kind of island surrounded by channels.

"Everywhere we found evidence of burned material," said Goddio, according to CNN. "Spectacular ceremonies must have taken place there."

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/2400-year-old-baskets-of-fruit-discovered-in-ancient-egyptian-city-under-the-sea/ar-AAN2MhR?ocid=msedgntp&li=BBnb7Kz