Deep beneath the Mediterranean waters off the northern coast of Egypt, marine archaeologists have unearthed a rare bronze signet ring from the sunken ruins of the royal palace on the island of Antirhodos. The island, which once served as the royal seat of Alexandria’s Portus Magnus, sank beneath the waves following a devastating earthquake and tsunami in 365 CE. Rediscovered by French underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio in 1996, the site continues to yield remarkable artifacts from antiquity, with this latest discovery offering a tangible link to one of the ancient world's most famous structures.
The newly recovered ring features an engraving depicting the legendary Pharos lighthouse, which may have once reached heights of up to 348 feet. According to statements from the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the artifact is currently the only known bronze signet of its kind. Researchers believe the ring was utilized during antiquity to make official notary impressions on soft wax or clay seals within the administrative heart of the royal palace.
Experts note that the faded engraving on the signet closely mirrors depictions found on thousands of ancient coins recovered from Alexandria, dating back to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods between 331 BCE and 395 CE. This latest find joins a lengthy catalog of recovered historical treasures from the Portus Magnus site, which includes a 550-pound granite sphinx depicting Cleopatra’s father, ancient ceramics, statues of Greek deities, and a 100-foot shipwreck. Archaeological work at the submerged site remains ongoing across multiple zones within the eastern region of the ancient harbor.
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