THE AREA OF STUDY AND ITS
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The area allocated to the Hellenic Mission
extends along the shore of Ramleh from the eastern boundary
of the Eastern Port of Alexandria, known in antiquity
as Μέγας Λιμήν and Magnus
Portus, to the Peninsula of Montazah. The Greeks
called this area ‘Η πρός ’Ελευσίνι Θάλασσα (2)
and the Romans Mare Eleusinium. Eleusis was
later renamed Juliopolis and Nicopolis.
Since knowledge of the topography of ancient Alexandria
is limited and confusing, we can only assume that the
Ptolemaic and the Roman walls followed the littoral east
of Cape Lochias, perhaps to the extent of the present
suburb of Ibrahimieh (3). We do know, however, that
beyond the walls there were costal suburbs with a diversity
of constructions and activities. The remains of numerous
burial grounds, military installations, villas and residences,
shrines and small monuments of various periods, including
the Tomb of Stratonice and the Martyrium of Saint Marc,
were visible before the urban expansion that has obliterated
most of the ancient ruins (4). A number of activities
that would not be permitted within the city walls, because
they were viewed as detrimental to the environment, were
established extra muros. So it is to be expected
that such a large city as Alexandria, which at the end
of the Roman period may have counted nearly a million
souls, had on the shores outside its boundaries, various
stone quarries. tanneries, mummification workshops, dying
basins, salt works, as well as fish-salting and fish-drying
industries.
One of the aims of the surveying program was to trace
the ancient and possibly medieval shorelines and discover
the faint remains of these activities, which due to the
rise of the sea and the subsidence of the land are now
partially or totally submerged, as well as explore deeper
waters where we expect to discover remains of maritime
activities. The ports of Alexandria experienced uninterrupted
use for over 2,300 years. Most of the maritime trade
was with the East, so it is logical to assume that the
sea area just outside the entrance to the harbours holds
remains of shipwrecks, scattered cargoes and ship equipment
lost over the centuries.
The first two dive surveys focused on locating sites,
where ancient remains of structures or ancient artifacts
could be found. During the third and the fourth campaigns
the Institute solicited the cooperation of the Department
of Marine Geology of Patras University. Their side scan
sonar revealed possible targets in the deep that may
indicate the presence of shipwrecks, man-made structures
and artifacts.
The survey area extends 14 kilometres along the Alexandrian
coastline and covers an approximate area of 44 square
kilometres. Initial spot dive surveys extending from
Cape Lochias to Stanley Bay were followed by a superficial
survey of the area off the suburb of Sidi Bishr near
the remains of a now submerged deep ventilation shaft,
probably part of an ancient burial complex (called by
local tradition the Devil ‘s Well (Bir Maasoud)).
A complete survey of the same areas by side-scan sonar
followed, in order to understand its geomorphology. With
the experience gained during our subsequent campaigns,
we now have a better understanding of the area and can
concentrate our efforts on six sites that have revealed
submerged antiquities.
(2) Αθήναιος Δειπνοσοφισταί (Meineke,
A., ed.), Leipzig (Teubner)
1858, XII: 576f.
(3) See the plan by Mahmoud Bey ‘el
Falaqi: Carte de l’Antique Alexandrie
et de ses Faubourgs, Copenhague 1872,
md Jondet, G.: Atlas Historique de la Ville
d’Alexandrie et de ses
Ports, Le Caire (Société
Sultanieh de Géographie) 1921: pis. XXXVJ-XXXVffl;
see also Botti, G.:
Plan de la Ville d’Alexandrie à l’Epoque
Ptolémaique,
Alexandrie
(Mémoire présentée à la Societé Archéologique)
1898.
(4) See Bemand, A. (ed.): “Alexandrie: Plan de la ville ancienne et moderne
by M. Bartocci”, Alexandrie des Ptolémées,
Paris 1995: pp. 1- 2.
