Series·Swedish Cyprus Expedition

Amathus, finds from tombs 10–26

363 object photographs

Sites: Amathus, Lapithos, Marion, Ayia Irini-Palaeokastro

In March to May 1930 the Swedish Cyprus Expedition, under Alfred Westholm, excavated 26 tombs in the necropolis west of the acropolis of Amathus, on both sides of the Nicosia–Limassol road. SCE II dated most of them by their first burials to the Cypro-Geometric period and the built tombs to the Cypro-Archaic.

Read more

These 363 object photographs show finds from tombs 10 to 26. The largest groups are from Tomb 11 (47 prints), Tomb 14 (40), Tomb 21 (37) and Tomb 16 (36). Tombs 11 and 16 were built tombs, begun at the end of Cypro-Geometric III; Tomb 21, lined with ashlar on all sides, was only partly excavated, and its first burial falls at the transition from Cypro-Geometric I to II. Tomb 17 held Roman burials, and blown-glass vessels from Tomb 18 point to the same later use: SCE II notes that parts of the necropolis served again as a cemetery in Roman times. Tomb 26, a tumulus, dates from the 3rd century BC. The prints show Bichrome, White Painted and Black Slip pottery, iron tools and weapons, bronze ornaments and jewellery.

Westholm's diary for tombs 13–20 is D II:2f, and his tomb inventory is D II:2g. Finds photographed without a tomb number are in the Amathus tombs 2–26 folder.

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.

In the field diaries

Photographs: Swedish Cyprus Expedition, Medelhavsmuseet, Stockholm (CC0)

All series of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition