Slitherine

PALERMO, FEBRUARY 15 - The exploration of two so far unknown Roman ports, hidden in the coastal dunes of the beaches of Cyrenaica, east of Benghazi (Libya), has been launched. The research is conducted by an archaeological mission led by Sebastiano Tusa and carried out by the Superintendency of Sea in the region of Sicily in cooperation with universities of Suor Orsola Benincasa in Naples and Ias in Palermo, as well as the Department of Antiquities of Libya. "The work done was aimed at collecting useful data for the implementation of a project which targets the knowledge and the promotion of identified key cultural and tourism places in a full cooperation with the Libyan authorities," a note affirmed. The attention of the Italian scientists is particularly focused on the first port, nearby the agriculture village of Hamama, given the significant traces of stone structures emerging from the sand both at the coast and in the sea. It is probable that this is one of the most ancient ports used by the nearby Cyrene for its Mediterranean contacts and, first of all, with Rome from the period of the Empire. The site could be identified as Phykous, mentioned by Strabo in the same area.

JDM

It's when I read things like this, I know I should have been an archaeologist! Roman history (especially UK) is amazing. I can't imagine how the people from the universities must feel uncovering something new like this. Awesome!

I agree whole heartedly - I just wish I had a history teacher in HS that could have made things - so I could have learned more