During the archaeological investigations ofEuropean Institute of Underwater Archaeology in the waters ofancient port of Alexandria in EgyptThe archaeologists they identified the exceptionally preserved remains of a unique type of vessel. It is a “thalamegos“, a sort of pleasure “yacht” from Egypt from the Hellenistic period used by the noble classes for the celebration of sumptuous river festivals and processions. According to estimates, the total length of the vessel was 35 metersof which some have been well preserved 28.
The research, coordinated by the French archaeologist Franck Goddiomade it possible to identify the remains of the vessel just 7 meters deep. The ship’s timbers are exceptionally preservedhaving been buried under 1.5 meters of sediment. I “thalamegoi“They were very good boats details: these were boats from flat bottomsuitable for navigation on seabeds shallowwithout great nautical qualities, and designed to accommodate luxurious pavilionsused for parties And banquetsand also cited by the geographer Strabowho lived between the 1st century. to. C. and the 1st century. d. C. They were real floating palaces: the queen Cleopatra he welcomed Julius Caesar on a vessel of this type during his visit to Egypt in 47 y. C.
On some of the hull’s wood, archaeologists have highlighted the presence of some Greek letters (probably part of the “assembly instructions” of the ship, very common in antiquity), whose spelling can be traced back to first half of the 1st century d. C.during the early Roman imperial age. Franck Goddio has been studying the port of Alessandria area for some time, and has linked the discovery of the thalamegos with them nearby ruins of the temple of Isis. According to Goddio the ship could have been used during the ritual of navigium Isidi (the ship of Isis), one procession in honor of the Egyptian goddess. Research on the ship is just beginning, and it shows promise.
