Politiko-Tamassos: Department of Antiquities rescue excavations, 1962–1972

Directed by

• Vassos Karageorghis1965
• A. Christodoulou1966

Team

• Michael Loulloupis

• Department of Antiquities of CyprusSponsor

1. 1962

   Two Cypro-Archaic I chamber tombs with ordinary White Painted IV and Bichrome IV vessels.

   [1]

2. 1963

   Looted chimney-type rock tomb with two burials: lower layer of Red/Black Polished ware (late EC III / early MC I), upper layer of White Painted V-VI, Proto White Slip, Red-on-Black, Red Polished IV and Black Slip wares, silver and lead spiral rings, and a fragile glazed faience (?) amphoriskos; last used early LC IA.

   [2]

3. 1964

   Early Christian burial chamber, disturbed by workmen before notification; over sixty clay lamps of three types, glass fragments, two gold mounts, a bronze coin of Tiberius II and a limestone incense burner.

   [3]

4. 1965

   Late Cypriot II pit tomb found during Department reconstruction work and excavated by Karageorghis: local Base Ring II and White Slip II pottery, many small Mycenaean vases, bronze daggers and tools, faience, knucklebones, two cylinders. Looted Roman rock-cut tomb with main chamber and three side chambers holding stone sarcophagi: four gold coins (Theodosius, Gratian, Honorius), a gold chain with blue glass pendant, 27 lamps, a glass pendant with a woman's face, an iron sickle.

   Directed by V. Karageorghis[4]

5. 1966

   Two tombs: T. 8 with Cypro-Geometric III to Cypro-Archaic II goods (Plain White III amphora, Red Slip skyphos, Bichrome IV jug, iron knife, bronze fibula) and T. 9 of Cypro-Archaic I-II (miniature Plain White amphoriskos, Bichrome IV jars, lid, lamp, bronze earrings). Classical limestone funerary stele with two panels (banqueting men under reclining lions; young archer), found during levelling and badly damaged by a bulldozer.

   [5]

6. 1967

   Intact Cypro-Archaic I tomb with two Bichrome IV amphorae, a Black-on-Red II bowl and Plain White IV jugs and bowls. Several tombs, Middle to Late Bronze Age: Red Polished III-IV and White Painted pottery, Cypriot Late Bronze Age wares, several Mycenaean IIIA-B vases; Base Ring II strainer jug illustrated. Remains of a probable early Christian basilica and tombs found by levelling; steatite cross, bronze and iron buckles, gold and bronze coins including a Justinian solidus.

   [6]

7. 1972

   A late Cypro-Archaic II tomb with ordinary pottery found during levelling work; also a limestone funerary stele fragment showing the head and upper torso of a crowned youth in high relief (52 cm high).

   [7]

1. 1.V. Karageorghis, 1963, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1962, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 87.
2. 2.V. Karageorghis, 1973, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1972, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 97.
3. 3.V. Karageorghis, 1967, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1966, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 91.
4. 4.V. Karageorghis, 1968, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1967, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 92.
5. 5.V. Karageorghis, 1964, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1963, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 88.
6. 6.V. Karageorghis, 1966, Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1965, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 90.