Aboukir – Sunken Cities
Franck Goddio’s excavation of underwater finds are now a great attraction. Please check with the VMFA about attendance restrictions before making plans.
Exhibit at VMFA shows rare treasures from ancient Egypt.
Pioneer of modern maritime archaeology Franck Goddio changed how we view ancient Egypt in the 1990s when he began excavating the ancient Great Port of Alexandria. His discovery of the submerged city of Thonis-Heracleion and parts of the city of Canopus was an archeological sensation. More than 300 objects found by Goddio are currently on display in Treasures of Ancient Egypt: Sunken Cities at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. Curated by Goddio himself, highlights include a nearly 18-foot-tall, 5.6-ton statue of the god Hapy, the largest stone statue of a deity recovered from ancient Egypt; beautiful statues of other gods and rulers of that civilization; and other objects used to celebrate the Mysteries of Osiris, an annual religious event in Egypt. “VMFA brings the world to Richmond, and this exhibition explores the fascinating history of two lost cities of ancient Egypt,” says VMFA director and CEO Alex Nyerges.
The exhibition runs through Jan. 18. VMFA.Museum
This article originally appeared in our October 2020 issue.
