Emily Chan
In September, Libya was struck with devastating floods that resulted in thousands of deaths and caused slight damage to the monuments at Cyrene, an ancient Greek city and archaeological site located near the Mediterranean coast.
However, the waters have also washed away large amounts of stones and earth, revealing previously hidden structures.
Cyrene was founded by Greek settlers from the island of Thera in 631 B.C. It was one of the most major cities of the ancient Greek world and thrived during the fourth century B.C. until an earthquake destroyed it.
Among its ruins are towering temples and fabulous fountains dedicated to significant Greek gods. Currently, the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After water levels decreased, Libyan authorities headed over to Cyrene to determine what damage had been done to the ancient city. It was then that they noticed never-before-seen structures peeking out underneath layers of dirt and debris.
The floods helped to expose a series of slabs in one area of the city that archaeologists believe is the cover of a Roman drainage system. In addition, new walls of the Sanctuary of Demeter have been discovered.
For now, the ruins in the upper part of Cyrene are intact, but the excess water flowing around the foundations of the structures may cause them to collapse in the future. Already, a Roman wall in an area known as the Via Porticata has caved in, altering the course of ancient water channels. This poses a threat because future rain could result in the water pouring down into the Temple of Apollo.
When archaeologists visited the site, they reported that there was a continuous stream of water gushing from beneath the ground’s surface into the city’s lower terrace and dripping down throughout the ruins, forming puddles of dirty water.
Upon further inspection, it was discovered that the storm had broken some pipes outside and above the archaeological site. Therefore, the water found its way to an ancient spring under the ruins, which is how it seems to be emitting an endless flow of water.
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