Sunken Cities. The name alone peaks the interest, doesn’t it? It was an interesting trip for a guy like me from a small town. Thought it would be a good idea if I got some culture. The wife bought tickets for the family to head to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to take in the Sunken Cities exhibit. If I understand it right (and I’ll post the official description in a bit), there were a couple big cities right on the northern coast of Egypt. They were huge ports of trade that suddenly seemed to disappear from existence. As near as the experts can figure, rising sea levels combined with seismic activity led to their downfall. Here’s the official history behind the exhibit.
It still blows my mind that major cities, even way back then, could just up and disappear. They were literally Sunken Cities.
Imagine being a scuba diver in the Mediterranean Sea and coming across some of these amazing artifacts. In fact, of all the items on display, the museum figures it’s only about 10 percent of what’s buried down there at the bottom of the sea. There’s much more work than someone can accomplish in one lifetime. Here’s the official description from the MIA website.
“More than 1200 years ago, two ancient cities were lost to natural disasters and the rising tides of the Mediterranean Sea. Two decades ago, underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio and his team discovered those Sunken Cties, revealing monumental statues, religious images carved in stone, exquisite jewelry, and delicate ceramics—and a greater understanding of life during the age of the pharaohs. Don’t miss this epic story of their discovery.”
By the way, if this is something you’re interested in, admission to the museum is free but you do need to buy tickets.
Again, the ancient Egyptians were amazing craftsmen, weren’t they?
Here’s a link to my photo album I put up on my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/chad.smith.75685/media_set?set=a.2208142199246204&type=3
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the history behind the exhibit, courtesy of KARE11 TV in Minneapolis: