The Submerged Antiquities Section displays some of the artifacts discovered in the Eastern Harbor of Alexandria and at the Bay of Abukir, where once existed the cities of Thonis-Heracleion, Canopus and Menouthis. The collection encompasses beside coins, jewels and amphorae, a unique collection of statues and statue fragments which reveal the foreign influences on Egyptian art. One of the remarkable examples is a black basalt statue theoretically attributed to a Ptolemaic Queen, probably Arsinoe II. These artifacts were brought to light, thanks to the Franck Goddio team, who works in conjunction with the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Goddio, Director of the European Institute of Underwater Archeology (IEASM), has began the marine excavations in Alexandria since 1992.
The shot below was taken in 2006 before the “ Egypt’s Sunken Treasures” Exhibition (September 2006- September 2009) which toured many cities around the world. Selected artifacts of the submerged antiquities collection held by the BA Museum are now on display in the “Cleopatra - The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt” Exhibition at the Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, USA).