Beneath ancient Egyptian temple vast tunnel found
An archaeologist has discovered a vast tunnel beneath a temple in Egypt that once served as a conduit for water from a nearby river.
The 1,305-meter-long tunnel was discovered by an Egyptian-Dominican-American archaeological team in a large temple, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement published Friday.
One of the greatest builders in the ancient world built this 65-foot (20-meter) long tunnel. It’s considered one of the most important engineering achievements of antiquity.
The ancient Greeks had many rituals and beliefs. The Eupalinos Tunnel, in the Greek island of Samos, also carried water. The archaeology of the Taposiris Magna temple is very complex.
Many parts of the temple are underwater and it’s been hit by numerous earthquakes over the history of its existence, which caused extensive damage.
The Taposiris Magna Tunnel at Delphi was built by Alexander the Great in 300 B.C.
30 B.C. to 30 A.D.), a time when the kings of Egypt were descended from one of Alexander the Great’s generals.
The finds are also evidence that the tunnel was used by royalty, according to Martinez, who believes that the remains of one of the heads might depict King Juan Carlos I.
Its identity is unknown. Ancient coins and the remains of statues of Egyptian gods were also found there, Martinez said. When the tunnel was built, Taposiris Magna had a population of 15,000 to 20,000.
The tunnel was built beneath a temple that honors Osiris, an ancient Egyptian god of the underworld, and Isis, an Egyptian goddess who was Osiris’s wife. This is a hoard of coins minted with the face of Cleopatra. It was found during excavation.
The excavation of Taposiris Magna, in the Nile delta, is ongoing. The artifacts that have been found there are being studied.
