Roman-Era Pleasure Ship Emerges from Alexandria’s Ancient Harbor After 2,000 Years

According to the IEASM, the vessel is roughly 2,000 years old and appears to be a thalamagos, a type of ceremonial pleasure barge used in Roman Egypt. These ships are believed to have hosted eminent figures or played central roles in official processions, reflecting the era’s political pageantry and cultural grandeur. What has stunned researchers is the ship’s state of preservation: approximately 90 feet of timber remain intact, enabling experts to reconstruct a vessel that originally measured nearly 115 feet in length and 23 feet in width.

The discovery offers a rare glimpse into maritime engineering and ceremonial life in ancient Alexandria. Antirhodos, now submerged due to centuries of seismic activity and shifts in sea level, was once a prestigious royal quarter associated with the Ptolemaic dynasty. Finds from this area are considered crucial to understanding the city’s political and cultural landscape, particularly during its complex transition into Roman rule.

For archaeologists, the condition of the ship provides an extraordinary opportunity to study wooden construction techniques seldom preserved in marine environments. The vessel’s size and design also reinforce historical descriptions of elaborate river and harbor ceremonies that once animated the city, underscoring Alexandria’s status as a cosmopolitan power center of the ancient Mediterranean.

As research continues, experts say the ship could yield new insights into elite mobility, ceremonial traditions, and technological capabilities in Roman Egypt—adding an important chapter to the ongoing rediscovery of Alexandria’s submerged past.