Newly found ancient Egyptian port may lead to Cleopatra's tomb

"Doomed Egyptian queen Cleopatra has captured the imaginations of people all over the world for centuries. Archaeologists have long sought to locate her tomb, which she shared with her lover, Mark Antony, per popular legend. Thus far, the search has been unsuccessful, although many believe she would have been buried near the royal palace in Alexandria, Egypt. National Geographic explorer Kathleen Martinez thinks she might be on the verge of locating Cleopatra's final resting place at a site called Taposiris Magna."

"Martinez has a degree in archaeology but initially became a criminal lawyer. She brought that legal training to bear on the question of the location of Cleopatra's tomb, treating it as she would a forensic case. "I tried to understand her personality, who were her friends, who were her enemies," Martinez told Ars. "She was a strategist and she always had a Plan A and a Plan B." It simply made sense to her that Cleopatra would have brought that same strategic thinking to orchestrating her death."

An archaeologist with a background in criminal law has conducted a twenty-year forensic-style investigation to locate Cleopatra's tomb at Taposiris Magna. The investigator analyzed Cleopatra's personality, allies, enemies, and strategic behavior to infer how she might have orchestrated her death and burial. The hypothesis includes secret tunnels and loyal subjects transporting her body to a hidden burial site near the royal palace in Alexandria. Excavations at Taposiris Magna have yielded promising finds, including a recently discovered submerged ancient port several miles off the Mediterranean shore that likely belonged to the temple complex. The search for the tomb remains ongoing.

Read at Ars Technica