A bronze signet ring depicting the Lighthouse of Alexandria, a wonder of the ancient world, has been discovered underwater in the Mediterranean off Alexandria, Egypt.
A joint team from the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities found the artifact in the remains of a palace on the now-submerged island of Antirhodos, marking the first time a signet ring featuring the image of the lighthouse has been found, the IEASM team said in a statement.
The image on the ring is similar to depictions of the lighthouse that have been previously found on coins dating to the second century, representatives of IEASM said.
"The discovery of the ring-signet is even more important as it has been excavated in the legendary palace of the Island of Antirhodos, that once was a centre of power," Franck Goddio, president of IEASM, said in the emailed statement.
The palace was used by Egyptian pharaohs who reigned during the Ptolemaic period (304 to 30 B.C.), a dynasty of rulers descended from on...
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