Are we getting closer to the elusive tomb of Cleopatra?

New discoveries at the Taposiris Magna temple complex west of Alexandria reignited hopes of locating the elusive tomb of Queen Cleopatra VII. The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced on Sunday that significant archaeological finds have been uncovered at the site, according to AllAfrica. The Egyptian-Dominican archaeological mission, led by Dominican archaeologist Kathleen Martínez in collaboration with the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, has been conducting excavations at Taposiris Magna for nearly two decades.

The mission also uncovered a large tomb with 20 burial chambers. Among the artifacts found were a bronze ring dedicated to the goddess Hathor and an amulet shaped like a scarab inscribed with the phrase "The Justice of Ra has risen," according to Youm7. Additionally, a collection of shards and pottery vessels dating the Taposiris Magna Temple's construction to the 1st century BCE was found.

One of the most significant finds is a small white marble statue of a woman wearing a royal crown. Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled noted that this statue was among the distinguished pieces uncovered, as reported by Al-Ahram. Mission leader Kathleen Martinez, suggested the statue may depict Queen Cleopatra VII. 

The mission also unearthed a limestone bust of a king wearing a "nemes" headdress, indicating links to the late Ptolemaic period, according to Daily News Egypt.

The archaeologists also found 337 coins, many bearing the image of Queen Cleopatra VII, along with a diverse collection of ceramics and ritual pieces. These discoveries have revived the theory that Cleopatra may have been buried in the temple of Isis, which archaeologists have been investigating as a possible location for her tomb, reported OK Diario.

According to a theory, Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt, saw herself as the reincarnation or direct descendant of the goddess Isis. This symbolic connection to Isis would have led Cleopatra to choose a place of rest that honored the goddess. Archaeologists have been investigating the temple of Isis in the hope that it is where Cleopatra chose to be buried, and with each new finding, the mystery of Cleopatra's tomb becomes even more fascinating.

Inside one of the chambers beneath the ancient Taposiris Magna lighthouse, the mission found nine white marble busts and several other artifacts, as reported by Daily News Egypt. Studies show the Greek-era temple was destroyed between the 2nd century BCE and the early Roman period, according to Al-Ahram.

The mission unveiled foundation deposits beneath the southern wall of the temple's outer enclosure. These deposits contained a collection of funerary and ritual objects from the Late Ptolemaic period. Youm7 reported that among the items discovered were miniature pottery jars, oil lamps, marble and quartzite fragments, bronze figurines, iron tools, beads, glass vessels, and a scarab amulet inscribed with the phrase "The Justice of Ra has shone."

Preliminary underwater excavations near the remains of the temple have yielded human skeletal remains and a large quantity of pottery, including a large collection of pottery pieces, according to Youm7.

Taposiris Magna and other ancient cities near Alexandria have become partially submerged over the centuries, necessitating underwater investigations, as stated by Al-Ahram.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq