Public lecture by archaeologist Franck Goddio

5pm, Thursday September 25

This free one-hour public lecture, entitled "The Temple to Poseidon in the Portus Magnus of Alexandria", is taking place in our recently renovated Chapel.

In what promises to be a fascinating talk, Archaeologist Franck Goddio, Director and founder of the IEASM (European Institute for Underwater Archaeology), will describe his team's underwater excavation and surveying work in Alexandria, Egypt, since 1992, which has led to them creating a map of the ancient port. The existence of a temple to Poseidon, set within a large religious complex and created to reflect the grandeur and power of the Ptolemaic kings and queens, was mentioned by Strabo in his description of the Portus Magnus of Alexandria, and IEASM divers have found remains of a large building: limestone ashlars masonry, pink granite blocks, fragments of pink granite columns of different diameters, and imposing mortar blocks are scattered on an area of over 3,000 square meters. Archaeological excavation combined with underwater 3-D stereophotogrammetric coverage have revealed that these belong to a vast temple and corresponds well with Strabo’s account of its location. 

With the support of the Hilti Foundation, Franck Goddio has directed underwater excavations and surveys in Aboukir Bay, off the coast of Egypt since the 1990s. Using cutting-edge technology, he discovered the submerged cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus. In Alexandria, He has also mapped and excavated the famed eastern harbour of Alexandria, recovering its ancient Royal Quarter. Franck Goddio co-founded the Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology in 2003.

The lecture will be followed by a drink reception. If you would like to attend, please register.