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Bronze Signet Ring Showing the Lighthouse of Alexandria: What We Know
Underwater archaeologists recovered a bronze ring engraved with the Lighthouse of Alexandria at Antirhodos; the expedition calls it the first known signet ring with this image. The lighthouse image resembles ones on second century A.D.
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Key takeaways
- Underwater archaeologists recovered a bronze ring engraved with the Lighthouse of Alexandria at Antirhodos; the expedition calls it the first known signet ring with this image.
- The lighthouse image resembles ones on second century A.D. coins, but that resemblance is not a secure date for the ring or proof of who used it.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What is known about the bronze signet ring engraved with the Lighthouse of Alexandria recovered by underwater archaeologists at the palace o. Article summary: Underwater archaeologists recovered a bronze signet ring depicting the Lighthouse of Alexandria from the submerged palace on Antirhodos, formerly part of Alexandria’s royal quarter in Portus Magnus, or Great Harbour. The. Topic tags: general, general web, user generated. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fa
A bronze signet ring engraved with the Lighthouse of Alexandria was recovered during underwater excavations at Antirhodos, a submerged island in Alexandria’s Eastern Harbor. The expedition describes it as the first known signet ring bearing the lighthouse’s image. The find is striking, but the available reports do not establish when the ring was made, who owned it or how it was used. 8
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Where the ring was found—and why it matters
The ring came from the remains of a palace on Antirhodos, once part of Alexandria’s royal quarter in Portus Magnus, or Great Harbour. The European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) carried out the excavation with Egyptian antiquities authorities. 5
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“First known” is a specific claim: it refers to a signet ring engraved with the lighthouse, not to the first surviving image of the monument in any form. The carved design resembles images of the Lighthouse of Alexandria found on coins dated to the second century A.D. 3
5 That comparison offers an iconographic parallel, but does not by itself provide a secure date for the ring.
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What the reports say about the discovery
IEASM’s announcement is dated October 7, 2026. A separate report says Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister, Sherif Fathy, visited the mission on October 5 and that the discovery was announced during that visit. The reports therefore give different timelines for the announcement; neither establishes the precise day the ring was recovered. 12
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Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Supreme Council of Antiquities are identified in reports as partners in the underwater archaeological work. Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, was among the officials reporting details of the find. 6
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30 Franck Goddio, who leads the IEASM work, announced the discovery through the institute’s channels.
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One report identifies Ahmed Rehema as an assistant who accompanied Fathy during an inspection aboard the research vessel. The available reporting does not establish a more specific role for Rehema in recovering or studying the ring. 7
What the ring might tell us—and what it cannot
A signet ring could be used to press a design into wax or soft clay, potentially sealing or authenticating a document or container. That is a possible use of this kind of object, not evidence that this ring was used in a particular way. 6
The palace setting has prompted suggestions that the site may have had administrative connections to the harbor landmark. But the find does not prove that the ring’s owner managed the lighthouse, or that the palace housed offices responsible for it. 7
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Reports also connect the site’s history with Strabo, who visited Alexandria around 29–25 B.C. That historical context does not independently establish how long the palace remained in administrative use or whether its occupants managed the lighthouse. 21
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The main limits are straightforward: the available reports do not give the ring’s dimensions, name an owner or provide a secure date for its manufacture. The resemblance to second-century coin imagery is a comparison, not enough on its own to settle those questions. 5
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Other finds from the harbor campaign
A report on the season’s work describes four areas under investigation in Alexandria’s Eastern Harbor: a temple of Isis, palace remains, an obelisk and the Timonium. 27 Another report mentions ceramic and glass finds from the broader underwater surveys, but the available excerpt does not provide dates for those objects.
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The ring is therefore best understood as a rare find with a notable image and archaeological context—not as a fully dated object that identifies its owner or proves a direct link to lighthouse administration.
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Underwater archaeologists recovered a bronze ring engraved with the Lighthouse of Alexandria at Antirhodos; the expedition calls it the first known signet ring with this image.
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Underwater archaeologists recovered a bronze ring engraved with the Lighthouse of Alexandria at Antirhodos; the expedition calls it the first known signet ring with this image. The lighthouse image resembles ones on second century A.D. coins, but that resemblance is not a secure date for the ring or proof of who used it.