Egypt: Treasure divers plunder ancient wrecks off Alexandria | News

Alexandria- By Neptune! It looks like a burglar has looted a one-sesterce shop. Illegal treasure divers are making big hauls at the bottom of the Mediterranean.

Egyptian police confiscated 448 ancient bronze items from two men. They are accused of living in the Bay of Aboukir near Alexandria (Egypt) to have illegally dived for ancient treasures. One of the two is already known to the police. This was announced by the Egyptian Interior Ministry.

The two divers were in Abukir Bay, west of the Egyptian metropolis Alexandriaancient wrecks and sunken ruins plundered at the bottom of the Mediterranean. The bay is dotted with evidence from the Greek and Roman times.

First came the Greeks, then the Romans

This came after the conquest by Alexander the Great (332 BC). Ancient Egypt under the rule of the Ptolemies of Greek origin. Alexandria, the city founded by the conqueror himself, became the new center of the empire.

Around 300 years later, Augustus became an emperor in 30 BC. BC Egypt joined the Roman Empire. Previously he had his rival Marc Antony and his lover, the Pharaoh Cleopatradefeated. Now trade and traffic towards Rome flourished.

Cities and ships sank in the bay

Over the centuries, several cities and towns as well as numerous ships from Greek and Roman times sank in the marshy Bay of Abukir. Diving for years Archaeologists in the region, you will always find spectacular evidence from that time.

Collected hundreds of ancient treasures

Apparently this also happened to both of them Treasure hunter attracted. And they found numerous ancient pieces.

The list of looted antiquities reads like an inventory of one Museums: 53 statues with various inscriptions, three statue heads, 12 spears with human heads, 14 bronze cups, 41 axes with inscriptions, 20 bronze pieces and 305 coins with inscriptions.

The men wanted to sell the finds and therefore die police. This has now been prevented by the investigators. The ancient pieces go to the Egyptian antiquities authority and remain in the country.