An archaeologist has been granted permission to search the grounds of Alexandria, the ancient city that has been submerged in water for over a 1,000 years. The search for Cleopatra has been a goal of many, but none have come out as successful as archeologist Kathleen Martinez. Is there a possibility that we could witness the discovery of Cleopatra’s tomb in our generation?
After being granted permission by the Egyptian government, archeologist Kathleen Martinez has been able to work with many professionals, including Robert Ballard—the infamous discoverer of the remains of the Titanic—to discover the suspected remnants of the ancient city submerged under water.
For hundreds of years, archaeologists have tried to find the remains of one of the most iconic and significant historical figures in the history of the world. Since 2005, Martinez has been making efforts to uncover the secret behind her burial site location. Although the search is for Cleopatra, Mark Antony, her lover, was also buried with her. Mark Antony was a distant cousin of Julius Caesar’s and a Roman politician who began a love affair with Cleopatra at around 40 B.C.
Despite many archaeologists’ efforts, none have come as far as Martinez. During the past decade, there have been a total of two updates announced by the archaeologist and her team. Around the 2nd or 3rd century, Alexandria was buried due to Mediterranean waves. During her most recent update in February of this year, Martinez claimed that all 14 Ptolemy Pharaohs from Alexander to Cleopatra are missing. Many Egyptologists believe that all 14 artifacts are buried in Alexandria. Therefore, after some exploration, clues have led Martinez to believe that the tomb is located in the Taposiris Magna temple, or the great tomb of Osiris.
Due to her restlessness and perseverance, a foundation plate (contains details as of when and why the temple was built), coins with Cleopatra on it, and an additional temple have been discovered. The foundation plate read as follows: The King of high and low Egypt Ptolemy V lives forever beloved by Isis, son of Ptolemy IV King of high and low Egypt, and his wife, Arsenoe III, both benevolent Gods, consecrated this temple to the mother Isis.
Although it was concrete evidence, there was nothing on Egyptian maps that could potentially prove anything. After soliciting help from Robert Ballard, the marines, and the Egyptian government, Martinez was successfully able to begin her exploration of Alexandria, forever changing the status of the mission.
Martinez and her team discovered two to three meter tall structures where Alexandria was set to be buried. They also found basalt in the sea, which is the exact material used and found in the first temple, therefore leading them to believe that it indeed was at some point a part of a land structure. The next permit season to excavate is soon to come, as they have pinpointed over five additional areas of interest, reaching out as far as 10km away from the coast.
Kathleen and her team of archaeologists have committed themselves to this mission like no other, including the great and revered Napoleon. We are only a few steps closer to finding out where her tomb truly lies. Now the real question is at play: will our generation have the potential to witness the discovery of the tomb of one of the greatest historical figures in the world?
