Series·Swedish Cyprus Expedition

Amathus, finds from tombs 1–9

305 object photographs

Sites: Amathus, Ayia Irini-Palaeokastro, Marion

In 1930 the Swedish Cyprus Expedition excavated 26 tombs in the necropolis west of the acropolis of Amathus, around the 48th mile post of the Nicosia–Limassol road. Alfred Westholm was in charge. His diary records the start on 28 March, and SCE II gives April and May as the months of work. Most of the tombs were rock-cut shaft tombs of the Cypro-Geometric period; the built tombs belonged to the Cypro-Archaic period, and Tomb 26 was a Hellenistic tumulus.

These 305 object photographs show the finds from tombs 1 to 9. Most come from Tomb 7 (86 prints), Tomb 8 (65), Tomb 2 (60) and Tomb 9 (51). Tomb 2 was one of two large built tombs, its dromos and two chambers on one axis, which SCE II took to be made for persons of high rank, perhaps royal; it dates from the beginning of Cypro-Archaic I. Tomb 7 was cut at the beginning of Cypro-Geometric III and used for several burials. The prints show Bichrome, White Painted, Black-on-Red and Plain White pottery, a foreign Polychrome Lustrous jug, terracotta lamps, a silver fibula, gold sheet jewellery and iron tools.

Westholm's diaries are D II:2e and D II:2g; the tombs in the field are in the Amathus fieldwork series.

Sources

Gjerstad, E., Lindros, J., Sjöqvist, E. and Westholm, A. 1935. The Swedish Cyprus Expedition: Finds and Results of the Excavations in Cyprus 1927–1931, vol. II. Stockholm, pp. 1–4 and 138–141.