Pieces From One of Seven Ancient Wonders Are Raised

Long-lost stone blocks from the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria, once a beacon to ancient mariners and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, have been hoisted from the Mediterranean. The blocks, submerged for centuries in Alexandria's harbor, are being digitally scanned as part of an effort to create a virtual reconstruction of the iconic structure and learn more about its construction and collapse. The details:

• Live Science reports the lighthouse, built around 280 BC at the behest of Ptolemy II, was a "technological marvel": It stood more than 328 feet high, featured a multi-tiered design, and had a beacon that was visible for up to 30 miles. It was destroyed by earthquakes in the 14th century, and its ruins were found in the water in 1994 by French archaeologist Jean-Yves Empereur. The blocks that were just raised were part of the third effort French researchers have conducted at the site since.
• A June 24 press release from La Fondation Dassault Systèmes describes what was raised, per Archaeology Magazine: 22 blocks, including massive door lintels and jambs that weigh as much as 80 tons each, along with a previously unknown pylon that features an Egyptian-style door.
• ArtNews reports the blocks will join over 100 others that have previously been found and digitized, and the combined data will be used to create a comprehensive virtual model to better understand the lighthouse's original design and structure.
• One interesting fact from Live Science regarding that beacon: It was likely created through the use of a lighthouse fire and large, polished metal surfaces, possibly made of bronze or copper, but those surfaces "have not survived, and little is known about them."