2,000-Year-Old Roman Era Leisure Ship Discovered in Alexandria

Divers from the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) have uncovered the wreck of a 2,000-year-old Egyptian leisure ship lying off the coast of Alexandria, near what was once Antirhodos Island. The vessel — over 35 metres long and about seven metres wide — was discovered on the seabed along with artefacts and Greek inscriptions.

Archaeologists dated the graffiti and inscriptions to the first half of the first century AD, suggesting the ship was built in Alexandria. Early findings indicate the vessel was propelled solely by oars, featured a richly decorated cabin, and likely served as a barge for leisure or ceremonial use rather than trade.

The ship was found submerged in the former harbour waters of Portus Magnus — the ancient harbour area of Alexandria — which over centuries was affected by earthquakes and rising sea levels, sinking parts of the coastline including Antirhodos.3D view of the thalamagos, recorded through photogrammetry during IEASM excavations in Portus Magnus, Alexandria, Egypt.

Experts say this is the first wreck of its kind identified in Egypt: a pleasure-craft that matches descriptions found in classical texts. The design of the flat-bottomed hull, the broad beam, the possibility of a central pavilion or cabin — all match ancient accounts of “thalamagos,” the luxury barges used by nobility and wealthy Egyptians for pleasure outings on canals and coastal waters.

The find promises to shed new light on daily life, leisure practices and social structure during the Roman era in Egypt — an aspect rarely preserved in the archaeological record, which tends to prioritise temples, tombs and cargo ships. Researchers said further study of the wreck could offer rare insights into religious, cultural, and recreational uses of ancient waterways.Detail from the Nile mosaic of Palestrina depicting boats much smaller than the pleasure barge discovered off the coast of Alexandria.