The Search for Cleopatra’s Lost Tomb: Kathleen Martinez’s Bold Quest
posted on: Jan 8,
Statue of Cleopatra VII. Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons &#; CC Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
By: Mehdi El Merini / Arab America Contributing Writer
Cleopatra VII, the last queen of Egypt, remains one of history’s most enigmatic and compelling figures. Known for her intelligence, political acumen, and legendary love affairs with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, Cleopatra’s life has been the subject of fascination for centuries. However, one of the greatest mysteries surrounding her is the location of her final resting place. Despite numerous efforts, archaeologists have yet to uncover her tomb. Enter Kathleen Martinez, a Dominican archaeologist and former criminal lawyer, who believes she is on the verge of solving one of history’s most enduring riddles.
Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh of Egypt
Cleopatra VII reigned from 51 to 30 BCE and was the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. A descendant of Ptolemy I, a general of Alexander the Great, Cleopatra was more than just a seductress, as Roman propaganda often portrayed her. She was a shrewd diplomat, a
Archaeologist searching for Cleopatra's long-lost tomb makes 'significant' discovery
An archaeologist on a quest to find the long-lost tomb of Cleopatra VII has made a 'significant' discovery at a site believe to be queen's final resting place.
Kathleen Martinez, who has been searching for the tomb for nearly 20 years, uncovered a statue that may depict the true face of the queen who ruled 51 to 30 BC.
The white marble statue, which is just the head, features the likeness of a woman with a small nose, pouty lips and the hair braided around the head.
Martinez and her team also found coins bearing the image of Cleopatra, along with an assortment of pottery, oil lamps, figurines and other artifacts at the Temple of Taposiris Magna.
The expert has long believed the queen's tomb has been hiding somewhere in the temple's ruins, which sit atop a 4,foot-long tunnel 43 feet underground.
Martinez believes Cleopatra's body was moved from the palace through the tunnel and buried at a secret location.
However, other archaeologists have suggested that the statue depicts another royal woman.
Critics of Martinez have also slammed her theory of the queen's burial, saying Cleopatra was
Who Is Kathleen Martínez, The Woman Who's Led The Search For Cleopatra For Almost 20 Years?
Dr. Martínez's interest in Cleopatra was consuming. It was a true passion, and like all passions it cost her dearly. According to the National, Dr. Martínez's then-husband (with whom she had children) refused to move to Egypt. They split up, and Dr. Martínez threw herself into her new field.
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By , Dr. Martínez's house was "covered with maps" (per Wharton). She had arrived at a theory as to where Cleopatra lay buried: in a temple to the gods Isis and Osiris, probably with her lover and political ally, the Roman Mark Antony. Where could such a temple be, though, that hadn't already been discovered? Dr. Martínez knew of a temple site on the sea near Alexandria, called Taposiris Magna; the temple had been robbed and eroded by the creeping sea level, but it could well be the place. Other problems, less theoretical, awaited her in Egypt: endless visa complications, hostile customs agents, a brief arrest. But it was worth it. "I am 80% of the way to prove my theory [of Cleopatra's tomb]," she told Wharton in Ten years later, she may be much closer than that.
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Archaeologist who’s spent 20 years looking for Cleopatra’s lost tomb has given a rare update
Dr Kathleen Martinez has provided an update in her search for Cleopatra's tomb for the first time since
Back then, she updated us with the discovery of a tunnel that could have potentially lead to her tomb in the Mediterranean Sea.
Though Cleopatra's tomb may not have been found, it hasn't stopped the intrigue around the ruler's life in pop culture:
The Dominican archaeologist gave a lecture on 13 February, advertising it on her Instagram with a poster that, translated from Spanish, said: "Dominican Archeological Mission in Egypt: Cleopatra; Search and findings. By Dr. Kathleen Martinez."
The lecture was in Spanish, but TikTok user Dr Harini Bhat (@tilscience) got a hand from two of her followers to help translate it so she could update everyone through a seven minute video.
Dr Martinez has been searching for the lost tomb of Cleopatra since , explaining in the lecture that all 14 Ptolemy Pharaohs from Alexander to Cleopatra are missing.
Egyptologists widely believe they're all buried in the ancient city of Alexandria, which is now submerged und
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