Archaeologists discover rare bronze ring engraved with the lighthouse of Alexandria at Egypt’s sunken royal palace

Archaeologists studying the submerged remains of ancient Alexandria have uncovered a rare object connected to one of the ancient world's most popular monuments. A bronze signet ring engraved with a photograph believed to feature the Lighthouse of Alexandria gives a new hint to how the lost structure was depicted.

The discovery was revealed by the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM). The ring was recovered from Antirhodos, a submerged island that once formed part of Alexandria's royal precinct in the Great Harbour. Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities says no signet ring engraved with a photograph of the lighthouse had earlier been discovered.

An unusual depiction of the Pharos

The engraving resembles photos of the lighthouse on coins minted in Alexandria in the second century AD, indicating that the ring may date to around that time. Its real age, however, is not certain.


Ancient coins are a significant source of evidence for reconstructing the monument's appearance. They suggest a three-tiered design has a square base, an octagonal middle section and a circular upper level. Written descriptions survive too, but differences between historical accounts have left some aspects of the lighthouse's design open to interpretation.

Why the discovery site is significant

Antirhodos once housed a royal palace and was a centre of power. The ring's place has prompted researchers to regard whether the palace continued to be utilized for official activities in the second century AD, possibly including work associated with lighthouse administration. This continues to be a possibility rather than a confirmed comprehension for the artefact's presence.

Franck Goddio, the French underwater explorer leading the excavation and founder of the IEASM, emphasized the significance of the archaeological context.

“The discovery … is even more important, as theringthe ring has been excavated in the legendary palace of the island of Antirhodos, that once upon a time was a center of power,” Goddio stated in the institute's statement.

A ring with unanswered questions

In antiquity, signet rings were used to authenticate documents by pressing their engraved designs into wax or clay. In ancient Egypt, such objects could find officials and suggest authority, while also mirroring the owner's social standing.

As Guillermo Carvajal wrote for La Brújula Verde: “The statement does not say who wore this ring or what for,” and “It gives neither its size nor its exact date.”

The object's importance therefore is in its engraved image and archaeological setting, rather than in any confirmed identification of its owner.

The lost lighthouse and its history

Established on the island of Pharos in the third century BC, the Lighthouse of Alexandria guided ships approaching the city's harbour. The monument, also named the Pharos, is estimated to have stood between 330 and 430 feet tall.

The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus explained the dangers experienced by sailors along Egypt's northern coast, where submerged sandbanks could result in unexpected shipwrecks. He wrote that the sandbank was “not discernible to any who approach without previous experience of these waters.”

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Other finds from Alexandria's underwater excavations

The ring was recovered in a joint mission involving the IEASM and Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. The wider investigation spans four locations in the Eastern Harbour: a temple dedicated to Isis, the palace and its western platform on Antirhodos, the remains of a monumental sarcophagus, and the Timonium, a palace complex linked with Mark Antony.

Other discoveries are ceramics, everyday utensils, tableware, amphorae and fragments of glassware dating from the fourth century BC to the fourth century AD.

Goddio's team has surveyed Antirhodos since 1992 and documented a Ptolemaic palace connected with Cleopatra VII. These finds help researchers analyze the history of the royal precinct and the activities that happened around Alexandria's harbour.

Reconstructing the Lighthouse of Alexandria

Although the lighthouse no longer stands, it continues to survive underwater near the Qaitbay Citadel. Archeologists have found stone blocks and metal clamps attached to the monument.

In a separate effort, the Pharos Project in 2025 recovered 22 large blocks from the seabed to aid digital reconstruction attempts. Researchers are using photogrammetry and other documentation approaches to piece together the monument's likely appearance.

The work is challenging as the remains are scattered in a broad underwater area, where poor visibility and uneven seabed conditions complicate surveys. The reconstruction attempt is anticipated to take considerable time.

The newly discovered ring adds another piece of evidence to this continuing investigation. Its owner and date are unknown but the engraved design offers a rare visual connection to the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the ancient city that once surrounded it.

Source: Smithsonian Magazine and Gulf News