Rescue excavationDepartment of Antiquities

Episkopi: Department of Antiquities tomb rescues, 1962–1983

Name: Episkopi: Department of Antiquities tomb rescues, 1962–1983
Start: 1962
End: 1983

1962–1983 · Episkopi-Village

Tombs and chance finds at Episkopi village and Maraes reported in the annual chronicles between 1962 and 1983, among them Cypro-Archaic tombs and a Hellenistic and Roman tomb.

Map of Cyprus

Where the work took place

Main site
Also worked at
Ground above 200, 500, 1,000 m

Sites

1Episkopi-Village (approx.)
2Episkopi-Maraes (approx.)

Modern coastline (OpenStreetMap) and relief (Copernicus DEM).

The project

Between 1962 and 1983 the annual chronicles of Cyprus reported tombs and chance finds at Episkopi-Village and Maraes. In 1962 a tomb at Episkopi yielded more than seventy vases, held at the Curium House museum¹. In 1964 anti-aircraft trenches exposed mud-brick walls and sherds, which the chronicle read as evidence of a late Middle Cypriot settlement, and Tomb 9, a large Cypro-Archaic II tomb, held about twenty vessels². A Cypro-Archaic tomb at Maraes turned up in 1967 during levelling work in a known necropolis³. In 1972 the half-looted Tomb 12, in use from the Hellenistic period, produced lamps, stamped amphora handles and, in its Roman burial, gold coins and gold myrtle leaves; the material was then in the Kourion Museum⁴. In 1976 came Tomb 13, a half-looted Cypro-Archaic I group, and Tomb 14, with large White Painted IV amphorae⁵, and in 1983 a half-robbed Cypro-Geometric II tomb south of the village yielded vases only, among them an amphora with four birds⁶.

Institutions

Department of Antiquities of CyprusSponsor

Seasons

7 seasons

1962
Large tomb with over 70 vases, exceptionally rich in Red Slip II (IV), also Black-on-Red II (IV) and White Painted IV, plus a saucer lamp; shows these wares were made around Kourion.
[1]
1964
Mud-brick walls and Red Polished IV (?) incised sherds found when trenches were dug, evidence of a late Middle Cypriot settlement at Episkopi. Large Cypro-Archaic II tomb with about twenty vessels, mainly Red Slip and Black-on-Red including a large tree-decorated Black-on-Red II amphora, and a rare White Painted bowl.
[2]
1965
Hellenistic-Roman tomb of a series excavated in recent years: plain jugs and unguentaria, coarse cooking pots, Roman lamps and glass bottles.
[3]
1967
Cypro-Archaic tomb in known necropole with much Bichrome Red I, Black-on-Red II and Red Slip II pottery; two jugs with white-painted figural scenes typical of Kourion region.
[4]
1972
Half-looted tomb 12 used from the Hellenistic period: lamps, unguentaria, stamped amphora handles and three moulded terracotta figurines (Alexandrian types); the Roman burial held a gold ring, gold myrtle leaves, lamps, glass, terra sigillata and a lead-glazed skyphos.
[5]
1976
Tomb 13: half-looted Cypro-Archaic I group with Bichrome Red I (IV) bowl, Black-on-Red II bowls and jugs and Red Slip IV bowls. Tomb 14: large White Painted IV amphorae, one with two birds flanking a tree, plus Black-on-Red II and Red Slip IV vessels.
[6]
1983
Half-robbed Cypro-Geometric II tomb with vases only: a large Bichrome II(?) amphora with four birds, a horn-shaped vessel with a bearded head, and a double lenticular flask.
[7]

What was found

Periods

Tombs

Tomb 9, Curium House 48, tomb 11, T. 12, Tomb 13, Tomb 14

Publications

7 items

Chronique des fouilles (Bulletin de correspondance hellénique)

References

1.V. Karageorghis, 1963, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1962, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 87.
2.V. Karageorghis, 1965, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1964, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 89.
3.V. Karageorghis, 1968, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1967, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 92.
4.V. Karageorghis, 1973, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1972, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 97.
5.V. Karageorghis, 1977, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1976, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 101.
6.V. Karageorghis, 1984, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1983, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 108.

Sources

1.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1962, pp. 37–38.
2.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1964, pp. 27–28; p. 28.
3.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1965, p. 44.
4.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1967, p. 33.
5.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1972, pp. 27–28.
6.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1976, p. 22.
7.Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1983, p. 37.