Excavation work carried out by an Egyptian archaeological mission at the Al-Shatbi area in Alexandria has uncovered remains of a residential and trade settlement which was located outside the walls of Egypt’s capital city during the Graeco-Roman era.

This area was used as a transit area for travellers, visitors and trade merchants. It comprised rest houses for visitors to stay until receiving approval to enter the city as well as storehouses for merchants to keep their goods and customs to check the goods and decide the amount of taxes.

Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri explained that the discovery sheds light on the different activities that occurred at the exterior walls of the capital city during the Graeco-Roman era. He added that studies carried out show that the settlement was used since the second century BC to the fourth century AD.

The mission uncovered a collection of 40 water wells and cisterns along with a collection of clay amphoras, vessels, lamps, fishing instruments such as fishing nets as well as remains of marble statues of deities, emperors and warriors. A collection of ovens, good stores and the remains of a shrine were also unearthed along with 700 coins.

Head of the ancient Egyptian Sector Aymen Ashmawi explained that these artefacts reveal that the settlement had a trade market with workshops for the fabrication of these statues and fishing instruments, a fact that shows that the settlement was a hub for fishermen as most of the deity statues belongs to those related to fishing.