The murky depths conceal the remains of palaces, pharaonic statues and
a colossal lighthouse. It's a gold mine for archeologists fishing for
clues about a colorful past.
Archeologist Honor Frost says that the waters are chock full of
remains, possibly containing such treasures as Alexander's tomb.
French marine archeologists have an ambitious plan to raise the
lighthouse piece by piece, along with dozens of other pharaonic
artifacts. They plan to use balloons to float the stones
to the surface.
The lighthouse was built in 280 B.C. By the time of Cleopatra, it was
considered one of the seven wonders of the world. An earthquake in the
fourth century A.D. sent it toppling into the Mediterranean. There it
remained with the rest of the city until this century, when
technology allowed archeologists access.
Rough weather hampered the first day of the planned retrieval. But it
was hardly a bust. Archeologists lifted the torso of a pharaonic
goddess into the sunshine, shedding new light on long-buried treasures
that, until now, could only be imagined.