Has Cleopatra’s tomb been found?
Archaeologists have discovered a tunnel they believe leads to Cleopatra’s tomb.
Archaeologists have discovered a tunnel carved into layers of rock beneath Egypt’s ancient Taposiris Magna temple that may lead to the lost tomb of Cleopatra. The tunnel, which is considered a “geometrical wonder”, is about 1.5 kilometers long, about 1.8 meters high and is said to resemble the Eupalineo trench located in Samos and is considered to be one of the most important technical achievements of the classical world.
Archaeologist Kathleen Martinez of the University of San Domingo has been convinced for more than a decade that Egypt’s last pharaoh and her lover Mark Antony were buried inside the temple, and she is certain that the tunnel could be the way to that discovery. . The temple, whose name means “great tomb of Osiris”, is located near Alexandria.
Martinez told the Heritage Key website that there is a 1% chance the queen is buried there and that finding her remains would be “the most important discovery of the 21st century”.
After his defeat by Octavian, Mark Antony returned to Egypt. Seeing his men finally turn to Octavian’s side and attack Alexandria, he decided to kill himself. The archaeologist believes that, after his suicide, Cleopatra put detailed plans in place to have them both buried there.
Martinez previously told National Geographic that “Cleopatra negotiated with Octavian to allow her to bury Mark Antony in Egypt.
“She wanted to be buried with him because she wanted to represent the myth of Isis and Osiris,” explained the archaeologist.
“The true meaning of the worship of Osiris is that it secures immortality. After their deaths, the gods would allow Cleopatra to live with Antony in another form so that they would be together forever.”
Teams working in the area discovered a section of the tunnel submerged under the Mediterranean Sea. Beneath the mud sediment they found ceramic vessels and tractors, as well as a piece of limestone.
The research team believes that the foundations of the Taposiris Magna temple may also be under water, due to at least 23 earthquakes that struck the Egyptian coast between 320 AD. and 1303 AD.
Martinez also discovered several important artifacts inside the temple, including coins bearing the images and names of both Cleopatra and Alexander the Great, some headless statues, as well as statues of the goddess Isis.
Cleopatra was the last of a long line of Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt, descended from the Greek general Alexander the Great. He ruled from 51 BC. until 30 BC – until the day he died. Cleopatra ascended the throne after the death of her father, Ptolemy XII, and co-reigned with her second brother, King Ptolemy XIII. To gain the support of her people, Cleopatra also declared herself the daughter of Ra, the Egyptian sun god.
Cleopatra used her charms to first seduce Julius Caesar to cement Egypt’s alliance with Rome, and then to seduce his second in command, Mark Antony. In 41 BC Mark Antony formed a political alliance with Cleopatra, and the two subsequently became lovers. However, Mark Antony was already married to Octavia. According to the History Channel, Antony divorced his wife and married Cleopatra. But this marriage violated a Roman law that forbade Romans to marry foreigners. Octavian then declared war on Cleopatra and Antony, defeating both. Cleopatra fled to the mausoleum she had ordered for herself and everyone believed she committed suicide. Antony died in Cleopatra’s arms after stabbing himself to death because he thought his queen had committed suicide. Cleopatra actually committed suicide shortly after her lover succumbed to his injuries. Octavian returned to Italy where he became the first emperor of Rome, while Cleopatra and Antony were buried somewhere in Egypt.
from: ertnews.gr
