- Has new evidence finally revealed the biggest discovery of the 21st century?
Cleopatra VII is perhaps one of the most recognized monarchs to date and is famous for holding Egypt together during a time of political turmoil.
Cleopatra was Macedonian, and a descendent of Ptolemy I, one of Alexander the Great’s generals who became king of Egypt, thus she was not really Egyptian. Despite this fact, she was the only member of the Ptolemaic line to speak ancient Egyptian. Also, she was a naval fleet commander, a philosopher, and the last pharaoh of the ancient Egyptian world when she ascended the throne at 18 years old. As such, her achievements stretch across time as she reclaimed ancient Egyptian identity while defying the expansion of the Roman Empire.
As the Roman Empire’s reach closed in around her, Cleopatra died by suicide in 30 BCE along with her partner Mark Anthony (Roman politician and general). Upon her death, Cleopatra is noted as stating, ‘no man will ever find my tomb’. In 2022, a female led archaeological team may be close to proving Cleopatra right as they believe they have just uncovered new evidence to suggest that they are closer than ever before to uncovering Cleopatra’s elusive resting place.
A Tale of Two Lovers: A Self-Funded Expedition to Find Cleopatra’s Tomb Begins
The search for Cleopatra’s tomb began back in 2002 with what many archaeological teams had overlooked for years; that Cleopatra regarded herself as the embodiment of the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis. Though perhaps seemingly unimportant from the surface, this small detail influenced other aspects of Cleopatra’s life such as her relationship with lover and political ally Mark Anthony whom she regarded as the embodiment of the god Osiris. But why was this important to the hunt for Cleopatra’s tomb? The mythology of Isis and Osiris is one of love, death, and rebirth, and because of this, the female led archaeological team hypothesized that Cleopatra would wish for her and Mark Antony to be entombed together within an Alexandrian temple dedicated to Isis and Osiris so that they may be reborn together in the afterlife. This hypothesis thus led to the excavation of a temple dedicated to Isis within Taposiris Magna (‘great tomb of Osiris'), a Ptolemaic city west of Alexandria, which may now lead to the greatest discovery of the 21st century.
New Discoveries for a New Age of Archaeology: From Gold Coins to Guilded Mummies
After being granted permission to excavate the site of Taposiris Magna for two decades, various tombs, mummies, and approximately 1,500 objects have been uncovered which roughly date to the time of Cleopatra. Some of the most notable finds have been Graeco-Roman tombs (20 of which are shaped like vaulted sarcophagi with the other seven containing staircases leading to other burial chambers), mummies with their heads pointed towards the temple indicating someone important is possibly buried there, coins depicting Alexander the Great, the Ptolemies, and Cleopatra VII, as well as a bust of Cleopatra herself. In January 2021, 16 rock-cut Graeco-Roman tombs were unearthed which housed 2,000 year old mummies with bare gold foiled tongues, a mummy adorned with a thorn covered crown with a cobra placed on the forehead, and a mummy encased in a sarcophagus decorated with imagery of Osiris. Such burials have further increased the hypothesis that this is a burial site for an elite member of society and, with the imagery of Isis, Osiris, and Cleopatra herself, scholars believe she may not be too far away.
Alabaster Head (left): Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. A bronze coin portraying Cleopatra (right): drkathleenmartinez.com
The Hunt for Cleopatra’s Tomb Continues: A Mediterranean Mystery
Along with these artifacts, archaeologists have uncovered a 1,305 meter tunnel, located 13 meters underneath Taposiris Magna. This is the first time that archaeologists have found tunnels and passageways underground and inside the enclosure walls of a temple in Egypt. Not only has this find forever changed our understanding of ancient Egyptian architecture, but these passages are now leading archaeologists into the Mediterranean Sea towards sunken structures. It has been long hypothesized that Cleopatra and Mark Antony were buried within a tomb of her own creation - a practice common for ancient Egyptian nobility - near her palace in Alexandria. However, nearly 1,400 years ago, the ancient city of Alexandria was hit by a catastrophic earthquake which led to a massive tsunami ravaging its coastline subsequently sinking the island of Antirhodos. This allowed for the Mediterranean sea to claim not only the great lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world) but also Cleopatra’s palace and perhaps her final resting place. Because of this natural disaster, scholars have long held the belief that if Cleopatra was to be found anywhere, the Mediterranean Sea would be the place to make such a renowned discovery. As 2022 comes to a close, it looks like this female led archaeological team will now look to underwater archaeological advancements to help them uncover the lost tomb of Cleopatra so that her story, her full story, can finally be told.
Text: Megan Kumorek. MENAM Archaeology. Copyright 2022.
Images:
Image 1: Temple of Isis and Osiris: Getty Images/ National Geographic
Image 2: Mummy with Gold-Foiled Tongue: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Image 3: Alabaster Head: Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Image 4: A bronze coin portraying Cleopatra: drkathleenmartinez.com
Linked Readings:
Boucher, B. 2021 “Archaeologists Have Unearthed 2,000-Year-Old Mummies With Gold Tongues at an Ancient Temple in Egypt.” ArtNet News. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/mummies-gold-tongues-tombs-alexandria-1941359
Estaff, R. 2017 “Inside a Dominican Archaeologist’s Drama-Filled Quest to Find Cleopatra’s Tomb.” REMEZCLA. https://remezcla.com/features/culture/dominican-archaeologist-dramatic-quest-cleopatra-tomb/
Jarus, O. 2022 "Vast tunnel found beneath ancient Egyptian temple.” Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/ancient-tunnel-found-under-egyptian-temple
Kaur, J. 2022 “Truth about Cleopatra's Death: Resting Place May Have Been Found at a Mysterious Site.” International Business Times. https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/truth-about-queen-cleopatras-death-resting-place-may-have-been-found-mysterious-site-1679455
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