Ancient Egyptian pleasure boat found off Alexandria proves ancient historian right
Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient Egyptian pleasure boat off the coast of Alexandria, matching a description given by the first-century AD Greek historian Strabo, according to the British newspaper The Guardian on Monday.
The 35-meter-long pleasure boat dates back to the first half of the first century AD and was built to accommodate a central wing with a lavishly decorated cabin.
The boat was found near the now-sunken island of Antirhodos, which was once part of the greater port of Alexandria, known as Portus Magnus.
Ancient evidence
Strabo visited Alexandria between 29 and 25 BC and wrote of such boats: “These vessels were luxuriously furnished and used by the royal court for outings, as well as by revelers traveling from Alexandria through the canal to public festivals. Day and night, the boats were filled with patrons playing the flute and dancing without restraint and with great immersion.”
The excavations were carried out by the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology under the direction of visiting maritime archaeology professor Franck Goddio, from Oxford University.