Rescue excavationDepartment of Antiquities
Amathus: Department of Antiquities necropolis and town rescue, 1959–1979
1959–1979 · Amathus
Department of Antiquities tomb rescues at Amathus between 1959 and 1979, from the 1971 hotel-site excavation at Loures to the multi-burial Tomb 159 of 1978.
Map of Cyprus
Where the work took place
- Main site
- Also worked at
- Ground above 200, 500, 1,000 m
Sites
- 1Amathus
- 2Limassol-Tsiflikoudia (approx.)
The project
In 1959 the Department of Antiquities explored a tomb counted as the 110th found in the Amathus cemetery, during levelling work; it held a White Painted VI jug with syllabic signs, an Attic red-figure lekythos, a bronze strigil, an Anubis amulet, mirrors and silver jewellery.1 In 1960 the Department excavated rock-cut tombs at Anemos and Kafkalla, Cypro-Geometric with later Cypro-Archaic and Roman burials, among them a Cypro-Archaic I tomb at Kafkalla with bronze bowls.2 Three tombs found in 1961 during road repairs, Tombs 111 to 113, went to the Limassol District Museum. Tomb 113 was a pit tomb used in the Cypro-Geometric I, Cypro-Archaic I-II and Roman periods, and its finds included two bird-shaped vessels and an aryballos decorated with running dogs.3
In 1971 an emergency excavation took place at Loures, in the south-west part of the necropolis, where a large hotel was to be built. More than twenty tombs were excavated and four were intact; they ran from Cypro-Geometric III to Roman, most of them Archaic or Classical. Tomb 138 had its stomion blocked by three limestone blocks set in a Π shape.4 In 1972 M. Loulloupis directed a limited emergency excavation of a built tomb with a thirteen-step dromos, already looted when opened and used from the Classical period into Roman times.5 Tomb 147, reported in 1973, was half-looted; its built stomion incorporated a reused stele inscribed to Theotime, daughter of Apollonios, registered Limassol Regional Museum 556, and Karageorghis argues that the stomion belongs to the tomb's second use, in the late Hellenistic II period. Tomb 149 was a rock-cut Classical chamber with two limestone sarcophagi.6
Tomb 159, reported for 1978, was an intact square chamber with at least ten skulls, pottery, figurines, a chariot model, jewellery, faience amulets, a scarab and a Kition silver hemiobol. Tomb 156 had a corbelled roof and four benches around a central cavity, with Hellenistic to late Roman burials.7 The notice for 1979 lists seventeen tombs, numbered 160 to 176, from the Anemos-Kafkalla necropolis and other localities.8
Institutions
Seasons
12 seasons- 1959
Tomb, the 110th found in the cemetery, explored during levelling works: White Painted VI jug with syllabic a-na, Attic red-figure lekythos (late 5th c.), bronze strigil, Anubis amulet, bronze mirrors, silver jewellery.
- 1960
Rock-cut tombs: CG II-III with CA and Roman burials (Protocorinthian aryballos, East Greek skyphoi), a CG III tomb, a Roman tomb, and a CA I tomb at Kafkalla with bronze bowls.
- 1961
Three tombs found during road work: T.111 and T.112 used in the Archaic and Roman periods; T.113 a pit used in Cypro-Geometric I, Cypro-Archaic I-II and Roman times, with a Protocorinthian aryballos, Pergamene ware and glass.
- 1968
Half-looted Cypro-Archaic II tomb with small ordinary White Painted V and Bichrome V vases.
- 1969
Disturbed tomb running Cypro-Archaic II to Roman, with an Attic red-figure askos fragment and a multicoloured glass alabastron.
- 1971
Emergency excavation of the south-west part of the ancient necropolis ahead of a hotel: over twenty tombs, four intact, from Cypro-Geometric III to Roman, mostly Archaic and Classical; Amathus-style free-field bird jugs, silver rings, bronze mirrors and strigils, Attic red- and black-figure vessels, a Bichrome Red II jug.
- 1972
Intact tomb 142 used twice: first Cypro-Geometric III/Cypro-Archaic I with varied pottery, glass-paste necklace, a faience Bes amulet, scarabs, bone arm and phallus amulets and a riveted iron dagger; second burial in Cypro-Archaic II with a Bichrome V jug with eyes, nine scarabs, a terracotta female figurine, a bronze fibula and a steatite pendant.
- 1973
Tombs registered at Limassol: intact T. 121 with two burials of Cypro-Archaic II (and a Bichrome II heirloom dish); Amathus T. 147 (half-looted, built stomion reusing an inscribed stele, CA II and Hellenistic II finds) and T. 149 (Classical rock tomb, two limestone sarcophagi); and a CA II tomb (T. 123) at Tsiflikoudhia.
- 1975
Large chamber (4.38 x 1.54 m) half rock-cut, half built, short dromos, slab roof, orthostat blocking, limestone sarcophagus; many vases Cypro-Geometric III to Cypro-Archaic I (mostly in dromos): Phoenician Red Slip jugs and local imitation, Bichrome IV jug with three birds, amphora with metal-imitating handles, Cycladic skyphos, Corinthian alabastron; dated last quarter of 7th c. BC.
- 1976
Two already plundered tombs with usual Amathus vases: an Ionian skyphos, a Bichrome Red II amphora, and in the fill a sandstone stele fragment showing the double crown of Egypt (Cypro-Archaic II, Egyptian rule).
- 1978
Intact square multi-burial chamber tomb (2.70 m side) with at least ten skulls; Plain White pottery, Bichrome V and VI vessels, terracotta figurines, chariot model, horse and rider, silver boat-shaped earrings and rings, glass beads, Egyptian faience amulets, a scarab and a Kition silver hemiobol. Rock-cut tomb with corbelled roof and central floor cavity forming four benches, Hellenistic to late Roman burials; pottery, glass, and a lid with painted polychrome decoration, perhaps Athena Promachos.
- 1979
Tomb a few metres from the built tomb of 1975, with Cypro-Archaic II Amathus-region pottery, a Bichrome Red II dinos with white flowers, and a bronze strainer with iron loop handles of a type usual in the early Geometric. Seventeen tombs (160–176) added to the Limassol museum: Tomb 160 slab-built chamber with CG III-CA I pottery, a Greek MG II skyphos and Phoenician Red Slip jug; east tombs with faience monkey amulet, bird jugs, gold diadems, Astarte plaques and terracottas, surgical instruments, a Roman reuse with coins, and a quarter-obol of Evelthon.
What was found
Features and finds
inv. 242, 249; pit tomb with supporting wall; tomb 138 stomion closed with three blocks in Pi form; stele reg. 556 (Theotime, daughter of Apollonios); sarcophagi reg. 557/1–2; reg. 652; reg. 644; bronze strainer CS.2486; Tomb 160 rectangular slab chamber 1.75 x 1.55 m.
Tombs
T. 111, T. 112, T. 113, reg. 403, Tomb 116, T. 135, T. 137, T. 138, T. 140, T. 130, T. 21, T. 142, T. 121, T. 147, T. 149, T. 123, Amathus Tomb 159, Amathus Tomb 156, T. 160, T. 161, T. 162, T. 165, T. 168, T. 170, T. 172, T. 174, T. 175, T. 176
Publications
12 itemsAnnual reports of the Department of Antiquities
Chronique des fouilles (Bulletin de correspondance hellénique)
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1959
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1961
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1968
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1969
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1971
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1972
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1973
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1975
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1976
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1978
- Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1979
Related
Other fieldwork at Amathus · 14
- Amathus: Cesnola's tomb clearance1874–1876
- Amathus: Ohnefalsch-Richter's excavation of four tombs1885
- Amathus: the British Museum (Turner Bequest) excavation1893–1894
- Amathus: the Swedish Cyprus Expedition necropolis survey1930
- Amathus: Department excavations on the acropolis slope and the Early Christian basilica, 1960–19611960–1961
- Amathus: Department clearance of the small basilica, 1965–19661965–1966
- Amathus: Department excavations of the lower city, agora and east necropolis (Loulloupis)1972–1987
- Amathus: the French School at Athens mission1975–today
- Amathus: Department necropolis rescue and east necropolis excavation, 1980–1986 (Ino Nicolaou)1980–1986
- Amathus: Department secondary excavations in the west necropolis and at Ayios Tychonas, 1980–19811980–1981
- Amathus: survey of the territory of the kingdom, 1988–19911988–1991
- Amathus: Department excavation of the lower town (Palea Lemesos), 1991–20061991–2006
References
- 1.V. Karageorghis, 1960, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1959, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 84.
- 2.P. Dikaios, 1962, Archaeology in Cyprus, 1959–61, Archaeological Reports 8.
- 3.V. Karageorghis, 1962, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1961, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 86.
- 4.V. Karageorghis, 1972, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1971, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 96.
- 5.V. Karageorghis, 1973, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1972, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 97.
- 6.V. Karageorghis, 1974, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1973, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 98.
- 7.V. Karageorghis, 1979, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1978, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 103.
- 8.V. Karageorghis, 1980, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1979, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 104.
Sources
- 1.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1959, p. 28.
- 2.Archaeology in Cyprus, 1959–61, p. 7.
- 3.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1961, pp. 82–83.
- 4.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1968, p. 61.
- 5.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1969, p. 30.
- 6.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1971, pp. 27–29.
- 7.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1972, pp. 19–22.
- 8.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1973, pp. 24–25.
- 9.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1975, p. 15.
- 10.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1976, p. 11.
- 11.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1978, pp. 9–13; p. 13.
- 12.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1979, p. 7; pp. 11–13.
- 13.Greek Geometric and Archaic Pottery Found in Cyprus, p. 29.