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CategoriesAncient ports
Harbours, quays and anchorages that moved cargo before the coastline shifted.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Buried city
Hellenistic to Early Islamic (c.300 BCE – 700 CE) · Ptolemaic / Roman / Byzantine
Alexandria's wine port on Lake Mareotis — western harbour jetties 0.3–1 m submerged under Mariout floating silt, amphora town.
🇷🇺 Russia · Submerged site
Archaic to Late Antique (600 BCE – 400 CE) · Ionian Greek / Bosporan
Western strait emporium of Patrai at Taman Strait — 70 m mole at –3 m and customs quay with moorings.
🇬🇷 Greece · Submerged site
Hellenistic to Early Roman (309 BCE – 100 BCE) · Diadoch Macedonian / Thracian
Hebros delta harbour of Lysimachus's capital Lysimachia — 100 m quay at –1.8 m in Lake Kaminia salt lagoon, Thrace.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Buried city
Roman to Medieval (130–700 CE) · Greek / Roman / Egyptian / Hadrianic
Hadrian 130 CE Greek polis where Antinous drowned — 400x120 m Nile harbour grid city 350 ha with 18 m arch.
🇮🇹 Italy · Submerged site
Roman Republican (37 – 12 BCE) · Roman Augustan (Agrippa)
Agrippa's 37 BCE volcanic-rim war harbour joining Lake Avernus to Lucrine Lake — causeway dam now –1 to –6 m under Lucrinus lagoon.
🇷🇺 Russia · Submerged site
Archaic to Late Antique (c.600 BCE – 375 CE) · Milesian Greek / Bosporan Kingdom
Bosporan capital on Mount Mithridat — lower harbour and north-slope warehouses now 0.5–3 m submerged in Kerch Bay.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Submerged site
Early Historic (regional) · Early Historic
Sacred Alexandria Ridge Inner — Alexandria, Pharos (58-19) at Alexandria, Pharos, Egypt is a Early Historic (regional) submerged city of the Early Historic tradition, built c.
🇷🇺 Russia · Submerged site
Archaic to Roman (c.550 BCE – 240 CE) · Ionian Greek / Bosporan
Kerch Strait narrows emporium — lower harbour 1.5–4 m submerged on Taman spit opposite Kerch, controls Bosporus passage.
🇬🇷 Greece · Submerged site
Bronze Age (regional) · Bronze Age
Lower Pavlopetri Terrace North — Pavlopetri, Laconia (58-15) at Pavlopetri, Laconia, Greece is a Bronze Age (regional) submerged city of the Bronze Age tradition, built c.
🇹🇳 Tunisia · Submerged site
Punic to Byzantine (5th c. BCE – 6th c. CE) · Punic / Roman Byzacena
Tyrian purple-dye port with murex basins and moles half in surf at Ras Boutria cape, wealthy enough to mint double coins.
🇬🇷 Greece · Submerged site
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
Inner Pavlopetri Village Inner — Pavlopetri, Laconia (58-30) at Pavlopetri, Laconia, Greece is a Neolithic (regional) submerged city of the Neolithic tradition, built c.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Submerged site
Medieval (regional) · Medieval
Royal Alexandria Enclosure Inner — Alexandria, Pharos (58-01) at Alexandria, Pharos, Egypt is a Medieval (regional) submerged city of the Medieval tradition, built c.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Submerged site
Archaic to Hellenistic (c. 700–100 BCE) · Ionian Greek / Persian
Ionian wine harbour – 110 m Archaic mole at –1 m off Sığacık.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Submerged site
Classical (regional) · Classical
Lower Alexandria Reservoir II — Alexandria, Pharos (58-42) at Alexandria, Pharos, Egypt is a Classical (regional) submerged city of the Classical tradition, built c.
🇬🇷 Greece · Submerged site
Classical to Hellenistic (426 BCE – 88 BCE Sulla/Mithridates sack) · Athenian / Cycladic Delian League
Sacred processional causeway 250 m linking Apollo's Delos to Rheneia necropolis — basalt slabs now –1 to –3 m on channel reef.
🇯🇵 Japan · Submerged site
Early Historic (regional) · Early Historic
Southern Yonaguni Citadel A — Yonaguni (58-47) at Yonaguni, Japan is a Early Historic (regional) submerged city of the Early Historic tradition, built c. 200 CE for citadel and associated settlement.
🇯🇵 Japan · Submerged site
Neolithic (regional) · Neolithic
New Yonaguni Sanctuary Central — Yonaguni (58-16) at Yonaguni, Japan is a Neolithic (regional) submerged city of the Neolithic tradition, built c. 1800 BCE for sanctuary and associated settlement.
🇮🇹 Italy · Submerged site
Classical (regional) · Classical
Inner Baiae Mound West — Baiae (58-40) at Baiae, Italy is a Classical (regional) submerged city of the Classical tradition, built c. 1800 BCE for mound and associated settlement.
🇮🇪 Ireland · Submerged site
Mississippian (800–1600 CE) · Mississippian
Submerged Harbour of Newfield Well in County Kerry, Ireland is a Mississippian (800–1600 CE) submerged city attributed to Mississippian culture.
🇹🇳 Tunisia · Ancient city
Phoenician to Late Antique (8th c. BCE–7th c. CE) · Phoenician / Numidian / Roman
Phoenician-Roman port under modern Bizerte with lagoon quay.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Submerged site
Ptolemaic to Byzantine (300 BCE–750 CE Canopus branch port extention, Justinian baths 500 CE) submerged 750 CE after 1303 liquefaction 1303 Crete 9 8.0? · Ptolemaic → Roman → Byzantine Canopic branch pilgrim shrine of Serapis and Osiris shrine
Canopus Goddio 2000 Byzantine and Osiris Serapis.
🇱🇾 Libya · Submerged site
Greek (630 BCE Cyrene foundation) → Roman city subsided 6.2 earthquake? 374 CE Crete quake 365 CE? Drowned 2017 tomography 365 Crete 8.3 quake sank 2 m · Greek Cyrene port and Roman
Apollonia Cyrenaica Flemming 1958 submerged city 365 earthquake drowned 2 m.
🇮🇳 India · Ancient city
Early Historic (300 BCE–300 CE) · Satavahana
Kotilingala — Satavahana Port in Telangana, Karimnagar, Godavari, India is a Early Historic (300 BCE–300 CE) ancient city attributed to Satavahana culture.
🇱🇾 Libya · Ancient port
Phoenician (500 BCE) → Punic → Roman Septimian basilica 2nd c. CE urban expansion Severus, 365 Crete quake partially submerged 1 m · Punic → Roman Antonine Severan harbour theatre 108 m diameter with 3-storey scaenae
Sabratha Guidi 1923 Severan theatre of Severus 150.
