A lost city from the Byzantine era has been discovered in the Egyptian desert
Archaeologists have made a unique discovery in Egypt’s Western Desert, where they found a well-preserved Byzantine-era city founded in the 4th century. The structures and artifacts discovered could significantly expand our understanding of life in the region during the period when Egypt was under Byzantine rule.
The discovered city consists of streets that ran north to south and intersected with east-west streets, forming open squares. Inside the city stands a basilica that was built in the mid-4th century.
Remains of watchtowers, a fortified structure with thick defensive walls, and houses with halls were also discovered in the city. Among these buildings was the house of Tisos—a deacon of the local church—which dates to the second half of the 4th century.
In addition to the architectural remains, archaeologists uncovered various artifacts, such as bread ovens, kitchens, millstones, and bronze coins bearing images of Byzantine emperors, Latin inscriptions, and Christian symbols.
Researchers examined some of the coins and determined that they dated to the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantius II, who ruled from 337 to 361.
Among the finds were 200 ceramic fragments—ostraca—which were used for writing. Ancient records of auctions, correspondence, and other matters were found on them, according to The Guardian.
A tomb of a Celtic ruler containing gold treasures was discovered in Germany.
Archaeologists have discovered unique medieval artifacts near Halych.
As a reminder, the sunken ship “Delta I,” discovered off the coast of Cádiz in Spain, continues to reveal new secrets. Archaeologists have determined that the ship was carrying Swedish cannons and silver ingots from what is now Bolivia, which may indicate large-scale smuggling in the Atlantic more than 300 years ago.
