Ancient Egyptian City Excavated by Italian Archaeologist and Team

Rosario Pintaudi, an Italian archaeologist, is receiving attention for his work in Egypt where he leads the archaeological mission to unearth the ancient city of Antinopolis. As legend would have it, Antinopolis was established in late October 130 AD by the Emperor Hadrian as a monument to his young lover who drowned near a bank of the Nile river on which the city was established.

This city could be the gateway to understanding more about the Coptic Christian Period, where the practice of Ancient Egyptian religion and the Muslim conquest intersect, to which very little is known. Since the beginning of the project in 1935, the team has found blocks of stone dating back to Pharaoh Akhenaten’s rule, as well as Christian symbols, tokens from the Islamic rule, and many other remains of artwork and ritualistic devices. Pintaudi, with the help of his team, was able to restore the eastern gate to the city back to its former glory, which is said to be over 37 tons and 12 meters high. The reestablishment of Antinopolis’ eastern gate is a great achievement for the efforts being done to recover what is left of this ancient city. Rosario Pintaudi and his team are digging deep into the (previously) lost city of Antinopolis and are bringing up a better understanding of the lives and culture of the people who once lived here.

–Shauni Bernier