Is The Lost Tomb of Cleopatra FINALLY Discovered?

History is filled with stories of a thousand conquerors, kings and queens with enough treasures to span centuries and legacies sung from generation to generation. But few have a legacy as iconic and mysterious as Cleopatra VII, queen, temptress, strategist. Though her life and death have been well documented with paintings, books and movies made in an attempt to tell her story, much of Cleopatra's tale remains shrouded in mystery and controversy. A major contributor to this enigma is the fact that Cleopatra's last resting place remains undiscovered and may never be. Or so we thought. A recent archaeological discovery by Dr. Kathleen Martinez, criminal lawyer turned archaeologist, might be the answer to the question that has plagued historians, scientists and scholars for decades. Where is the last pharaoh of Egypt buried? However, this fortunate discovery may not only uncover one interred royalty, but it might also unearth two. According to Plutarch, the ancient Greek historian who authored a biography of Cleopatra's husband, the Roman general Mark Antony, both Antony and Cleopatra are believed to be buried inside Cleopatra's mausoleum. Antony impaled himself on his sword after receiving false reports that Cleopatra killed herself to avoid being captured by the forces of Octavian Caesar, the great nephew of Caesar. Antony died in Cleopatra's arms and was buried in her mausoleum. However, Cleopatra took her life in the same mausoleum two weeks later, not wanting to live in captivity and willing to join her dead lover. There are numerous speculations as to the death of this mighty queen. Was it a suicide or a murder? Was she bitten by an asp or downed by her poison, cleverly hidden in a hairpin? What happened to Cleopatra VII? Dr. Kathleen's discovery may yet shed more light. However, first we will explore the life and death of Cleopatra in all its glory and infamy. Cleopatra VII was the last true pharaoh of Egypt before it became a province of the Roman Empire. Although born in Alexandria, Cleopatra wasn't entirely Egyptian. Much of her ancestry can be traced to the Ptolemaic dynasty in Greece. Cleopatra is arguably history's most renowned queen and is best known for her love affair with the Roman general Marc Antony and Julius Caesar. Sadly, this perception of Cleopatra has persisted over the ensuing years. It is only in the last century that academic efforts have been made to present her in a more accurate light as queen and scholar. Cleopatra was fluent in several languages and helped steer Egypt through the troubled aftermath of her Ptolemaic predecessor's horrendous rule. She took over from her father at 18, and she needed a male consort to consolidate her reign, as was the practice in Egypt. And so she chose her 12-year-old brother, Ptolemy XIII. Cleopatra later removed his name from all official documents and ruled alone. Cleopatra was also a Unlike other Ptolemy descendants, she embraced Egyptian culture. Fluent in both Egyptian and her native Greek, she was also skilled in a number of different languages. Cleopatra was able to speak with ambassadors from various nations without the use of a translator, too. However, she was a woman, and like most situations where a woman held absolute power, Cleopatra was despised by her court. So, in 48 BC, her chief advisor, Pothinus, organized a coup that ran her out of Egypt and installed Ptolemy XIII, a more malleable leader, on the throne. While in exile, news reached Cleopatra that Julius Caesar had defeated Pompey and was visiting Alexandria. This was Cleopatra's chance to gain Caesar's favor. Knowing there was no way she could waltz into the palace accosted, Cleopatra hatched a clever plan of rolling herself into a rug and having her friend Apollodorus smuggle her into Caesar's presence by hiding her in a carpet. Caesar was impressed by her intelligence, and soon they were eager lovers. Later, Caesar killed Ptolemy XIII, reinstated Cleopatra as queen of Egypt, and even had a son named Caesarion with her. After securing her throne as sole ruler of Egypt, she and her son left for Rome to be with Caesar, much to the chagrin of the Roman public. In 44 BCE, Caesar was assassinated and Cleopatra fled Rome. She returned to Alexandria, where she ruled with her heir and son. However, she wasn't safe yet. Mark Antony, Caesar's right-hand man, and Octavian, Caesar's grandnephew, took it upon themselves to avenge Caesar's death. They defeated Brutus and Cassius, the chief conspirators, and shared Rome and its colonies. Antony took the east, while Octavian ruled the west. As part of his duties and to make sure Cleopatra was as innocent as she claimed, Antony summoned her to his court at Tarsus. However, not only did Cleopatra delay her arrival, she made sure she came with all the riches and splendor fit for the queen of Egypt. Cleopatra appeared in a heavily adorned barge, dressed as Aphrodite and with well-clad servants. Mark Antony was smitten. They immediately became lovers, and Cleopatra bore him three children. Antony was open about his affair with Cleopatra and acknowledged her as his wife, even though he was already married to Octavian's sister, Octavia, whom he eventually divorced. Antony and Cleopatra's brazen attitude angered Octavian and drove a wedge in Antony and Octavian's relationship. As expected, a war began. Octavian routed Cleopatra and Antony's combined forces time after time until he finally defeated them at the Battle of Actium. After Alexandria's capture, rumors of Cleopatra's death reached Antony, who ended his life with his sword, and soon after Cleopatra tragically followed suit. She was only 39. After their death, Octavian executed Caesarion and had Antony's children by Cleopatra brought to Rome, where Octavia raised them. Although Roman literature has smeared her reputation over the years, it is important to note Cleopatra's strength and political prowess during her 22-year reign as queen of Egypt. She became a legend. For decades, scientists and archaeologists have argued about the exact location of Cleopatra's famed mausoleum. Many thought her tomb was in Alexandria, her hometown, where she spent most of her time in Egypt. Unfortunately, earthquakes, tidal waves, and rising sea levels have pounded the coastlines of the great city, and a big part of it is submerged 20 feet underwater. So, for a good while, 1,200 years, the world thought Alexandria was forever lost to the led the European Institute of Underwater Archaeology in excavating ancient Alexandria. Their search uncovered a wealth of historical objects, magnificent granite sphinxes, massive limestone blocks, and towering columns. However, Cleopatra's tomb remained hidden. She was not there. Following the unsuccessful attempts to find Cleopatra's tomb in underwater Alexandria, archaeologists theorized that Cleopatra may have given instructions to be laid in another city a few miles away from Alexandria, the sacred city of Taposiris Magna. While excavations continued in Alexandria, and the science world marveled at the discoveries there, an archaeologist from the University of Santo Domingo by the name of Kathleen Martinez was already on a mission of her own. The goal? To find Cleopatra. Martinez has been on the search for Cleopatra's missing tomb for almost 20 years, and she may have made a groundbreaking discovery. The Egyptian Ministry for Tourism and Antiquities revealed in a Facebook statement that Martinez and her dig team had discovered a 4,281-foot tunnel 43 feet underground while digging for artifacts in the city of Taposiris Magna. In a talk with CNN, Martinez further disclosed that the excavation revealed a huge religious center with three sanctuaries, a sacred lake, more than 1,500 objects, busts, statues, golden pieces, a huge collection of coins portraying Alexander the Great, Queen Cleopatra, and the Ptolemies. The tunnels reportedly lead to the Mediterranean Sea, and may be the path to the long-lost tomb of Cleopatra VII. Several factors informed Martinez's decision to explore Taposiris, besides the rumors that Cleopatra may have desired a more sacred burial place. Chief among them was the name itself. Taposiris Magna, now known as Abu Sir, was called Per-Usiri by the ancient Egyptians, meaning dwelling of Osiris. The name is derived from the temple built in honor of Osiris at the site, which is also believed to be where Isis found parts of Osiris' body after his brutal dismemberment by Set. According to scholars and historians, Cleopatra was considered the human incarnation of the goddess Isis, and Antony, her lover, was the incarnation of Osiris. Therefore, it is fitting for them to be buried in the temple dedicated to Osiris, Isis' husband. Other clues which influenced Martinez's choice include a series of unique finds that point to Cleopatra's presence in Taposiris. They include a Cleopatra bust, coins bearing her image, amulets, a headless statue from Cleopatra's reign, and a mask showing a man with a cleft chin, whom some believe is Mark Antony. Subsequently, in 2004, Martinez presented her suspicions to Zahi Hawass, an Egyptian archaeologist and then Egypt's minister for antiquities, and a year later her project was approved. And now we have the tunnel. Described as a geometric miracle by the Egyptian Ministry for Tourism and Antiquities, the tunnel is a replica of the Eupolinos Tunnel on the Greek island of Samos, considered one of the most significant engineering achievements of ages past and which served as an aqueduct for over 1,000 years. The next stage of her archaeological mission will involve underwater excavations to investigate the submerged parts of the tunnel and to find the final resting place of the great Egyptian queen. Although Martinez is quite hopeful that the tunnels lead to Cleopatra, it may be a premature celebration, just like it was two years ago. In 2020, The Guardian reported the discovery of two mummies, male and female, by Martinez's team at the Taposiris dig site. It described them as high-status individuals who lived at the time of Cleopatra and quoted Dr. Glenn Goddenhoe's claim that they were important members of society. Dr. Glenn Goddenhoe is a senior lecturer in Egyptology at Liverpool University and was the presenter for the Channel 5 documentary, The Hunt for Cleopatra's Tomb. The news about the breakthrough spread like wildfire and pretty soon people speculated that they were the mummies of Antony and Cleopatra. Although archaeologists disproved it almost immediately and the mummies later identified as possible priests, there is still much uncertainty as to the true nature of the water-damaged bodies. A major reason behind the debunking was that the tombs were nondescript and unadorned, unbefitting of royalty. However, Cleopatra didn't die under normal conditions. In fact, given that Cleopatra was a Roman prisoner at the time of her death, it's most likely that she received a simple funeral in a stark tomb. The tunnel at Taposiris Magna is remarkable and will be more so when it leads us to Cleopatra's tomb. Think about how much new knowledge historians and archaeologists could learn from the contents of the grave. Imagine the centuries of wrong it could undo for this legendary queen. Egyptians loved Cleopatra and although Greek and Roman literature paints her as the devil herself, reliefs and sculptures erected in her name show that she may have been a good ruler. Her tomb will also shed more light on the Ptolemaic Egyptian life and how the Greco-Macedonian royals lived in Alexandria. If anything, the tomb's discovery will finally lay to rest the controversy surrounding her appearance and the way she died. Cleopatra was more than a seductress and man-eater. She was a brilliant ruler, trained in mathematics, philosophy, oratory, and astronomy. In the words of Dr. Martinez, she was an educated woman, probably the first one who studied formally at the museum in Alexandria, the center of culture in her time. My perseverance cannot be confused with obsession. I admire Cleopatra as a historical character. She was a victim of propaganda by the Would the tunnel lead to the answers historians and Egyptologists so desperately seek? Is this the beginning of a spectacular discovery that could rival the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb? Are we at the cusp of a history-shaking event, or would this be another lost cause? We can only wait and see. Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed the video, please hit the like button, and if you're new, hit subscribe and the bell next to it, for future notifications.