Tomb Of Cleopatra Just Discovered In Egypt Reveals Truth About The Pyramids

The fabled queen of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, has remained an enigma for thousands of years, and her final resting place even more so. But sixteen hundred years after she died, could researchers have found a clue that will not only lead to her tomb but Marc Anthony's as well? Almost 20 years after research first began, archaeologists may have done just that. Join us as we learn more about the clues that are leading archaeologists closer to Cleopatra's final resting place.

What do we know about Cleopatra's final moments? Plutarch, an ancient Greek writer, was one of the first to document the final moments of Cleopatra's reign and burial alongside her husband, Roman general Mark Anthony. According to his biography, Anthony fell on his sword on the day that Augustus and his Roman forces invaded Egypt and captured Alexandria. Cleopatra was by his side as he took his last breath before she interred him in her mausoleum. After two entire weeks, Cleopatra made her way to the mausoleum to make offerings and pour libations with her own hands, and soon she too passed away. We still don't know exactly how it happened, but according to popular belief, she got an asp to bite her. When she passed away, her body was laid to rest next to her husband's in the mausoleum. Unfortunately, the following days brought further tragedy to the family. Anthony's son, Marcus Antonius Antilles, and Cleopatra's son, Ptolemy 15th Caesar, were both killed by the Roman forces. It is possible that their bodies were also placed in the mausoleum with their parents, but we can't say for sure. Today, the mausoleum of Cleopatra remains lost to the world, likely lost in the Mediterranean along with most of the ancient city of Alexandria.

The Quest for Cleopatra's Mausoleum: Could researchers have found a breakthrough in their decade-long search for the Egyptian queen? It's possible. They found two mummies at Taposiris Magna that date back to the time of Cleopatra, and people are calling it a sensational discovery. Even though the tomb has been sealed for two thousand years, the mummies were covered in gold leaf, something only the rich and powerful could afford. This is leading some experts to believe that these individuals might have even known Cleopatra herself. Due to water damage, the mummies are in pretty rough shape, though they were still impressive back in the day. They've been x-rayed and identified as a man and a woman. Some people think they were priests who played important roles in keeping the Pharaohs in power. One of the mummies even has a gold leaf painting of a Scarab, which was a symbol of rebirth.

What's really interesting is that after centuries of searching, no one has been able to find the tomb of any Ptolemaic Pharaoh, including Cleopatra. So this discovery is a big deal. Dr. Kathleen Martinez has been leading excavations at Taposiris Magna for more than 14 years, and nothing has deterred her from her goal because she firmly believes that Cleopatra's tomb will be found there. At this point, though, only a small fraction of the vast site has been explored. Since the location was linked to the Queen of Egypt, researchers have uncovered a burial chamber containing two mummies. With a chisel and hammer, they have carefully removed a limestone slab and through a small hole, they've caught a glimpse of the mummies. In the past, several significant discoveries have been made at the site, including a headless statue of King Ptolemy IV, one of Cleopatra's ancestors, and a foundation plate that revealed the temple had once been dedicated to the goddess Isis. This might be the most important clue in the quest for Cleopatra's tomb, and here's why: Cleopatra not only saw herself as the human incarnation of Isis but was also considered to be so by her folks. Over 200 coins bearing Cleopatra's name and face have also been discovered at the temple altar where priests would make offerings to the gods. These coins not only link Cleopatra directly to Taposiris Magna but also depict a striking image of the queen. Although the portrait may not suggest the classical beauty immortalized by Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor, Egyptologist Dr. Glenn Godenow explains that it is how Cleopatra would have wanted to be seen because these coins were pressed under her direct instructions. Finding these coins was very helpful because coins are perfect tools to date archaeological sites, and the presence of money within the Isis Temple even proves that it was in use during Cleopatra's reign. What are these if not clear signs that the temple was definitely linked to Cleopatra's reign?

Why is this discovery so historically significant? Cleopatra's missing tomb has had a hold on archaeologists for centuries, and for some reason, no one has given up hope of finding her. It's amazing to think that the search for her tomb began almost 20 years ago, and archaeologists from the University of Santa Domingo have put their hearts and souls into finding this tomb, and it looks like their persistence has finally paid off. The discovery of the 1305-meter tunnel, which is 13 meters below ground level, was recently announced by the Egyptian Ministry for Tourism and Antiquities, and even this is regarded as an engineering miracle by architectural experts. The excavation has revealed the location of a huge religious center that is made up of three sanctuaries and a sacred lake. They've also found over 1,500 objects, including busts, golden pieces, statues, and a massive collection of coins depicting Alexander the Great, Queen Cleopatra, and the Ptolemies. The most important discovery of them all was the intricate network of tunnels that led to the Mediterranean Sea and underwater structures. This journey began in 2005, but somehow researchers have remained dedicated to learning where the queen is buried. But don't confuse this desire for obsession; the reason they're so eager to find her is simple. Cleopatra was an admirable historical icon and a victim of Roman propaganda, which aimed to distort her image. She was highly educated and possibly one of the first women to study formally at the Museum in Alexandria. This wasn't too common back then, but she made sure she was present at the cultural center of her time. But it's her final moments before her death, where she allowed an asp to bite her after Mark Anthony died in her arms, that makes her a tragic character too. Since it occurred, this tale has been immortalized in art and literature. Even Shakespeare wrote about it in "The Tragedy of Anthony and Cleopatra." But more than two millennia have passed, and we're all still in the dark about her whereabouts. Hopefully, the latest discovery will bring her closer to uncovering the lost tomb of this historical figure, especially now that little clues have led these archaeologists to believe that Cleopatra's resting place was located in the temple of Osiris in the ruined city of Taposiris Magna, where the Nile River meets the Mediterranean. The most important hint was the name itself. As we mentioned earlier, Cleopatra was considered to be the human incarnation of the goddess Isis, while Anthony was considered to be that of the god Osiris, Isis's husband. So could it be possible that Cleopatra could have been buried with her husband in the temple of Taposiris Magna? Well, researchers think so. Zahi Hawas, one of the most prominent Egyptian archaeologists in Egypt, thinks so too. Of all the 20 temples that they have studied in Alexandria, the temple of Taposiris Magna is the only one that satisfies all the necessary conditions. Cleopatra strongly associated herself with the goddess Isis in her life and art, portraying herself as the goddess and her husband Mark Anthony as her consort, Osiris. The temple of Taposiris Magna, dedicated to Isis and Osiris, would have probably been a place of significant religious symbolism to her life and death. Plus, the temple's location is ideal because it's within the ancient limits of Alexandria but outside the area controlled by the Romans at the time. Think about it; wouldn't you want to ensure that she and her husband are left in peace after their deaths? It's common knowledge that Cleopatra was afraid that the Romans would destroy her remains, so it is logical that she would have entrusted her body to a group of people she knew would protect it. The priests of the temple could have easily hidden her body away from the Romans and kept it safe for eternity. The temple of Taposiris Magna was also a crucial religious center with important political significance. Plus, it was associated with the Egyptian mysteries. According to the ancient writer Plutarch, Alexander the Great even stopped by the temple on his journey to the Siwa Oasis. It has to be an important place if Alexander thinks it's worth stopping by, right? All of this leads researchers to believe that if Cleopatra did indeed choose the temple of Taposiris Magna to bury her husband, it's possible that she also chose it as her final resting place. No other temple in Alexandria fulfills all the necessary conditions as well as Taposiris Magna, making it a strong candidate for the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony.

What do we know about Taposiris Magna? If you take a drive along the coastal road that runs between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Mariotis, you'll come across the temple of Taposiris Magna. It has a rich history dating back to the pharaonic period. During this time, the surrounding region was known as Peruza, later translated into Greek as Buserous and commonly referred to as Abu Sir today. But it wasn't the only one with this name. There are about 14 different places in Egypt that share this name, all of which are tied to the legend of Isis and Osiris in some way. According to the myth, Osiris was murdered, and his body parts were scattered along the Nile by his brother Seth. His wife, Isis, gathered all the pieces and brought him back to life using her magic, and they had a son named Horus. Ptolemy II established the city of Taposiris Magna, but the first reference to the temple was made by Strabo, who lived in Alexandria around 25 BCE. Plutarch explains that the name Buserous was given to the location because it was believed that the body of Osiris had been buried there, and this is why. This could be one of the reasons why the temple was devoted to both Isis and Osiris.

How did the excavation go? In 2005, Zahi Hawas and his team started their search for Cleopatra's tomb within the Taposiris Magna temple. They began by excavating both inside and outside the temple and came upon various architectural components distributed across different levels. Things were looking up already on the first level; the team was able to locate the limestone room's foundations, which were built parallel to the north wall. In each of the rooms, the flooring was also encased with limestone. They also discovered a pottery vessel that was used to hold oil from the church used for blessings. There were even more of these containers found, although many of them contained seals with Greek inscriptions. They even found a statue of a king or queen missing its head below one of the walls. As the search continued, the team stumbled upon the second level. There, they found architectural elements that dated back to the late Roman era. Could this have been built during Cleopatra's time? The level was located on a staircase and had a rectangular building with three differently sized rooms. A new entrance was also discovered at the end of the building's eastern wall, leading to a hall with two small rooms on either side. Though we don't know what they were used for, the rooms were separated by a tunnel that ended in a door opening to another large room. It's believed that this room may have been a home for the commander of the Roman camp when it was initially built. Then they found the third level, which was situated to the west of the Roman house. Limestone was spotted again when the team found five steps made of the rock, which led to a courthouse. The fourth level contained the foundations of residences that were most likely used by the Ptolemaic temple priests at some point. This area also had a group of ovens, with a stellar containing 10 lines of Greek inscription discovered in front of one of them. The excavations revealed several architectural components both inside and outside the temple. It also revealed shafts leading to various discoveries, such as skeletons and artifacts that date back to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. It's also important to note that the temple had a foundation similar to that of a rectangular building that could have served as a chapel for the temple gods. An altar located on the western end of the building led to the sanctuary, where they came upon the chapel of Isis. They also found the arm of a statue representing Apis. This further pointed to the fact that the temple was dedicated to the divine triad of Osiris, Isis, and Horus. This temple was steeped in details that proved it was wholly dedicated to the gods Cleopatra revered so deeply.

One of the first shafts discovered inside the temple had niches cut into the rock that was used as stairs. At a depth of 25 meters, a skeleton was found alongside a collar made of gold. It is believed that the skeleton was once a man who was left inside the shaft and never found. Yeah, no doubt that's a good way to die. The excavation continued on to 28 meters, where another skeleton was found. This skeleton was believed to have been left in the shaft after the temple's destruction, as objects of the temple rulers were found below it. And there's more. Further excavation led them 35 meters below the temple, where they came upon a third skeleton. This belonged to a woman who had died in childbirth. She was found holding onto the statue of Alexander the Great in her right hand and wearing a ring in her left hand. A chain with an amulet of a snake was found around her right ankle. The final shaft discovered indicated that it may have contained the entrance to a tomb. While researchers tried to enter it, they were met with a problem: the high water table. But within the debris of the shaft, they did find a great number of Rhodian amphora with seals that contained the name of the factory, as well as those of the priests. These vessels dated back to the 3rd century BCE and were used to transport the famous Rhodian wine. Near this shaft, several rooms were discovered