Alexandria, 21. January 2004. Under the patronage of Dr. Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, the 2003 joint Aboukir Bay research mission of the Council's Department of Underwater Archaeology and the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) led by Franck Goddio has brought to light scientific results of great historic interest.

On the site of the sunken city of Heracleion, discovered in May 2001, archaeological excavations performed around the temple of Heracles have enabled to define the topography of the surroundings of the sanctuary. In this monument a cult to the supreme pharaohnic deity Amon and to his son Konshu (respectively Zeus and Heracles for the Greeks) was held in order to maintain the continuity and legitimacy of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

The work conveyed, particularly on the channel located north of the temple, has brought to light an astonishing quantity of ritual bronze instruments and vases, as well as cult offering objects. Those show that this channel, oriented east to west, was a ritual way of great importance. The magnificence of artefacts discovered indicate that this sanctuary was superbly honoured and maintained by the Ptolemy kings. The city of Heracleion, besides being one of the most prominent religious centers, also used to be a very active trading port as early as the 6th century BC. Its superb infrastructure is very well illustrated by the 16 antique wrecks dating back from the 6th century BC to the 2nd century BC discovered in the submerged port basin.

One of the most impressive items recovered is a 2nd century AD bust of the Nile river god Hapi with cornucopia, probably once attached to a building. Hapi is most likely a predynastic name for the Nile. Later on the Egyptians called the Nile iterw, meaning 'the river', and Hapi became the name of the god of the Nile. As a water god, Hapi was a deity of fertility: he provided water, food and the yearly inundation of the Nile.

During the geological survey which is conveyed parallel to the excavations, construction has been spotted in between the city of Heracleion and East Canopus, which perfectly match the indications given by ancient texts that several human establishments existed once on this portion on the Egyptian land now sunken under the sea.

The mission was made possible by the Hilti Foundation.