Arpera: Markides's tomb excavations

At Arpera-Mosphilos, a necropolis Markides called Site Γ, Menelaos Markides excavated tombs in 1914, among them two Early Cypriot I tombs.¹ Tomb excavations are also recorded that year at Arpera-Chiflik and at Arpera-Ayios Andronikos, which he called Site B.^1,2,3 Only a very summary account of the finds was published at the time, as Merrillees notes.²

Tomb 1 at Mosphilos is generally classified as Early Cypriot I. Åström reports from it an ear-lug pot, two early pots, a deep basin, a large milk-bowl and a bronze axe-head.^1,4 Tomb 3 is less settled. Stewart classified a flat-based bowl from it as composite Red Polished I (Philia-Vounous), thought its Early Cypriot I date doubtful and suggested it might belong to the Philia culture.⁴ Webb and Frankel argue that its material belongs to the Philia/EC transition.¹

From Tomb 5 at Chiflik, Pezzi reports three three-handled jars of Shape 47, referring to Åström's publication.⁵ At Ayios Andronikos, Tomb 205A (also identified as Tomb 5A) was an oval chamber with a beehive-shaped roof, according to Tubb, who cites Gjerstad. Tubb concludes from the classified pottery that the deposit was Late Cypriot I.³ A White Painted Wheel-made pilgrim flask from it, Tomb 205A No. 19, is in the Cyprus Museum as A1491.³