Tunnel discovered beneath Egyptian temple may lead to Cleopatra's tomb, archaeologist says - CNN

Kathleen Martinez, an archaeologist astatine the University of Santo Domingo, has been searching for the mislaid tomb of Cleopatra for astir 20 years. Now she believes she's made a pivotal breakthrough.

Martinez and her squad uncovered a 1,305 metre (4,281 feet) tunnel, located 13 meters (43 feet) underground, the Egyptian Ministry for Tourism and Antiquities precocious announced — an architectural plan experts called an "engineering miracle."

"The excavation revealed a immense spiritual halfway with 3 sanctuaries, a ineffable lake, much than 1,500 objects, busts, statues, aureate pieces, a immense postulation of coins portraying Alexander the Great, Queen Cleopatra and the Ptolemies," Martinez told CNN.

"The astir absorbing find is the analyzable of tunnels starring to the Mediterranean Sea and sunken structures," she added. Exploring these underwater structures volition beryllium the adjacent signifier of her hunt for the Egyptian queen's mislaid tomb — a travel that began successful 2005.

"My perseverance cannot beryllium confused with obsession. I respect Cleopatra arsenic a humanities character. She was a unfortunate of propaganda by the Romans, aiming to distort her image," Martinez said.

"She was an educated woman, astir apt the archetypal 1 who studied formally astatine the Museum successful Alexandria, the halfway of civilization successful her time" according to Martinez, who said she admires Cleopatra arsenic a student, a linguist, a parent and a philosopher.

When her husband, the Roman wide Mark Antony, died successful her arms successful 30 BCE, Cleopatra took her ain beingness soon aft by allowing an asp to wound her by, according to fashionable belief. The infinitesimal has been immortalized successful creation and lit — but, much than 2 millennia later, small is known astir wherever their remains lie.

A bid of clues led Martinez to judge Cleopatra's tomb mightiness beryllium located successful the Temple of Osiris successful the ruined metropolis of Taposiris Magna, connected Egypt's bluish coast, wherever the Nile River meets the Mediterranean.

Chief among them was the sanction itself. According to Martinez, Cleopatra was considered successful her clip to beryllium "the quality incarnation of the goddess Isis," arsenic Antony was considered to beryllium that of the deity Orisis, Isis' husband.

Martinez believes Cleopatra whitethorn person chosen to hide her hubby successful the temple to bespeak this myth. Of each the 20 temples astir Alexandria she has studied, Martinez said, "no different place, operation oregon temple combines truthful galore conditions arsenic the temple of Taposiris Magna."

In 2004, Martinez took her mentation to Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist who was past Egypt's curate for antiquities affairs. Her task was approved a twelvemonth later.

And aft years of searching, Martinez feels she is getting close.

The excavations truthful acold person revealed that "the temple was dedicated to Isis" — which Martinez believes is different motion that the mislaid tomb lies adjacent — arsenic good arsenic the tunnels beneath the sea.

Now, Martinez said, she is astatine "the opening of a caller journey" — underwater excavations.

According to a connection issued by the Ministry for Tourism and Antiquities, the Egyptian coastline has been battered by earthquakes implicit the centuries, causing parts of the Tamposiris Magna to illness and descend nether the waves.

This is wherever Martinez and her squad are looking next. Although it is "too aboriginal to cognize wherever these tunnels lead," she is hopeful.

If the tunnels pb to Cleopatra, "it volition beryllium the astir important find of the century," she said.