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The Lost City of Thonis-Heraklion: A Submerged Metropolis
Thonis-Heraklion was a real Nile Delta port that slid beneath Abu Qir Bay. Here is how Franck Goddio found it in 2000, what it was, and why the city sank.
Egypt and Africa
Delta Cities and Ptolemies
Tanis, sunken Thonis-Heraklion and the Ptolemaic dynasty.
The Forgotten City of Tanis: A Metropolis of the Ancient World
Tanis was a royal capital in the Nile Delta, famous for the intact royal tombs found in 1939-40, but it was a modest city, not a vast metropolis.
The Forgotten History of the Ptolemies
The Ptolemies ruled Egypt for about 275 years, from Ptolemy I around 305 BCE to Cleopatra VII and the Roman annexation in 30 BCE. A clear outline.
The Forgotten Kingdom of the Ptolemies: A Hidden Gem of Ancient History
Alexandria was the Ptolemaic capital: home of the Library and Museum, the Pharos lighthouse and a mixed Greek, Egyptian and Jewish population. A closer look.
The Lost City of Thonis-Heraklion: A Treasure Trove of Ancient Egypt
The temple of Amun-Gereb at Thonis-Heraklion and the colossal statues, stelae and offerings recovered from the seabed of Abu Qir Bay, described with care.
The Lost City of Thonis-Heraklion: A Treasure Trove of Ancient History
The stele of Nectanebo I, found in 2001, links the Egyptian name Thonis with the Greek Heracleion and records a tax on Greek trade. Here is what it says.
The Lost City of Thonis-Heraklion: A Treasure Trove of Ancient Secrets
How archaeologists find, map and excavate a city beneath the sea: geophysical survey, coring, careful diving and recording at Thonis-Heraklion in Abu Qir Bay.
The Mysterious Case of the Lost City of Thonis-Heraklion
Why did Thonis-Heraklion sink? Researchers point to soft Delta sediment, rising seas and earthquakes, a gradual process that differs from the Atlantis legend.
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