Ah, the ocean… covering about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface, that’s a whole lot of water. So it really shouldn’t be a surprise that we’ve only explored a paltry 5% of this mysterious underwater world. Personally, I have a bit of a fear of being in open waters. But fortunately, there are people who dedicate their lives to discovering what lurks beneath the surface. Maybe they’ll find a cool new species of aquatic life, or maybe they’ll find an old boot. If you happen to be Frank Goddio, maybe you’ll find the remnants of an ancient lost city in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt. Wowzers…
Thonis-Heracleion: the sunken city lost thousands of years ago in the Mediterranean Sea!
Photo: Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
Thonis-Heracleion was founded in 8th century BC, as a port city for Egypt.
Photo: Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
The city was lost to the sea in 8th century AD due to natural disasters.
Photo: Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
Along with the lost city, many artifacts and treasures were found…
Photo: Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
…such as this enormous statue of a pharaoh!
Photo: Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
Bringing up the artifacts was no easy task.
Photo: Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
Wow! This is the first time this has been above water in about 1200 years!
Photo: Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
What can these ancient relics reveal about our history?
Photo: Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
This is truly an extraordinary discovery!
Photo: Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
Source: Reddit and Christoph Gerigk ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation
One can only imagine how Frank Goddio and his team felt when they first made the discovery (for more information about this incredible find, check out franckgoddio.org). And this begs the question… what else might we find in the depths of the ocean?