Following up on my previous post, I am including another post on the actual reason I went to the St. Louis Museum for! Specifically, the Sunken Cities exhibit that was a visiting display. This traveling exhibit showed off artifacts found off the coast of Alexandria Egypt that identified the long lost temple cities of Canopus and Thonis-Heracleion. It was a fascinating display that gives a lot of information on these two cities that had been lost to history for almost two thousand years. The description from the museum tells some of the story:
“In 2018, the Saint Louis Art Museum will be the first North American art museum to tell the epic story of one of the greatest finds in the history of underwater archaeology, a story that revealed two lost cities of ancient Egypt submerged under the Mediterranean Sea for over a thousand years. World-renowned underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio and his team discovered these submerged worlds and uncovered stunning ancient religious, ceremonial, and commercial artifacts, which has led to a greater understanding of life during the age of pharaohs.
More than 200 of these authentic artifacts, including three colossal 16-foot sculptures of a pharaoh, a queen, and a god will be on view. Objects range from the colossal sculptures to precious gold coins and jewelry, bronze vessels, objects inscribed in the ancient Egyptian or Greek languages, and statues from the sunken and forgotten ancient cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus. They will be seen alongside ancient Egyptian artifacts from museums in Cairo and Alexandria, many of which have never been on view in the United States.”
If this display comes to your hometown, check it out. Many of the artifacts are in amazing condition, considering their age and being buried under the Mediterranean for so long. Check out some of the items on display in my photos below!
