Archaeologists have discovered 2,200-year-old baskets that still contain fruit!
These baskets were found in the underwater ruins of Thonis-Heracleion, an ancient city near Alexandria, Egypt.
According to Greek sources, this city was a major trade hub in the Mediterranean during the Hellenistic era. However, in the 2nd century BC, earthquakes and tidal waves destabilized the land, causing the city to sink underwater.
Recently, archaeologists uncovered a wooden ship, hundreds of ancient ceramic vases, burial amphorae, and bronze treasures in the sunken ruins of Thonis-Heracleion.
Studies revealed that when disaster struck, the ship was docked at a wharf along a canal near a temple. Large stone blocks from the collapsing temple fell onto the ship, which actually helped preserve it by burying it under clay and temple debris.
The ship was discovered using a high-tech sonar device called a “sub-bottom profiler,” which can detect buried objects beneath the sea floor.
Amazingly, the baskets still contained doum fruit, a sacred fruit from an African palm tree worshipped by ancient Egyptians. Additionally, grape seeds were found, which may have been used for oil extraction.
The archaeologists were astonished, stating that everything remained untouched for thousands of years, and they were amazed to find the fruit still preserved.
