Title: EGYPT'S SUNKEN TREASURES
Author: FRANCK GODDIO & ZAHI HAWASS
Format: Hardback
Details:
In 1984 the author was invited to take part in an underwater investigation of Napoleon's fleet which was sunk in the Bay of Aboukir. The project uncovered an even greater treasure: the submerged cities of Canopus and Heracleion, both important ancient centres located near Alexandria. Among the underwater discoveries was a statue of the fertility god Hapy, a Hermes, the remains of a sphinx and the beautiful statue of a queen portrayed as Isis-Aphrodite. Presenting the sunken treasures to the world involved huge problems of conservation and restoration, and the exhibition "Egypt's Sunken Treasures", which this book was written to accompany, reveals the whole process, from bathymetric maps and photos to the final exhibition, which is catalogued in the final chapter. Among the other artefacts photographed and discussed in detail are a red granite Sphinx from Canopus, the Stele of Ptolemy VIII detailing the ruler's good deeds, the breathtaking gold dedication plaque from Heracleion made in the name of Ptolemy III, statuettes of Horus, Isis, Sekhmet and Thoth, an extraordinary-looking early falcon-headed crocodile-sphinx from Alexandria, and a Roman-era priest carrying an Osiris-Canopus jar, his hands veiled and his brow furrowed with the seriousness of the divine task. A colossal masculine head discovered in a depository for broken statues is probably an effigy of Sarapis. Uniting detailed historical research with glorious photography, this book is a superb record of one of the lesser-known Egyptian archaeological sites. 400pp, colour photographs on most pages and timelines.

Published Price: £35.00
BIBLIOPHILE PRICE: £9.00

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