Titanic discoverer joins Dominican archaeologist Kathleen Martínez’s Cleopatra search team

Santo Domingo.- Dominican archaeologist Kathleen Martínez has gained international recognition for her search for Cleopatra’s tomb, attracting the collaboration of famed oceanographer Robert Ballard, best known for discovering the Titanic. Despite skepticism about reaching out to him, Ballard quickly joined the project, eager to add Cleopatra’s discovery to his legacy. Alongside Dr. Larry Mayer and a team of experts, they have been conducting underwater excavations in Egypt, identifying five key search sites with support from the Egyptian Navy.

Martínez has rejected funding from U.S. and European universities to preserve the Dominican identity of the project. She insists on leading the effort under a Dominican institution to ensure that discoveries bear the country’s flag. So far, 3,000 artifacts from the excavation have been exhibited in major museums through National Geographic. She also aims to train young archaeologists, especially from Latin America, with support from Oxford University, which provides equipment and educational resources.

Her work is not without risks. While excavating in the Mediterranean, Martínez was attacked by a manta ray, suffering an electric shock. Land excavations in Egypt’s Taposiris Magna temple also present dangers, including unstable tunnels, scorpions, and snakes. Despite these challenges, she remains confident she is searching in the right location. Her goal is to uncover Cleopatra’s final resting place, along with other missing rulers from the Greek period, ultimately rewriting history.