Ancient CyprusAncient Cyprus

Archaeologist · Excavator · Antiquities official

Demos Christou

fl. 1972–2013 · Cyprus

Department of Antiquities archaeologist who directed the Kourion acropolis excavations from 1975 and was Director of the Department by 1995.

Biography

Demos Christou opened the Department of Antiquities' excavations on the acropolis of Kourion in 1975 and directed them season after season; the thirteenth campaign took place in 19871,15. His work there exposed the forum, baths, nymphaeum and water supply19.

In 1972 he was Assistant Archaeological Officer6. That year he cleared half of a tholos tomb and carried out a rescue excavation of four intact tombs in the Chalcolithic cemetery at Souskiou-Vathyrkakas, in collaboration with the Swiss-German expedition at Kouklia led by Franz Georg Maier1,16. The Archaeological Reports credit him with 28 tombs at Soloi in the same year1. In 1973 and 1974 he directed the Department's work at the Salamis theatre, first at the outer retaining wall of the cavea and then in the area outside it8,9. In 1981 the Department excavated six tombs at Mandres, south of Ayios Tychonas, under his direction11.

In 1982 he headed a new branch of the Department for folk architecture and folk art, with Euphrosyne Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou21. Between 1987 and 1997 he and Evi Baxevani directed work at Souskiou-Vathyrkakas, and he directed the Kourion baths beside the nymphaeum4. By 1995 the American Journal of Archaeology could describe him as "currently Director of the Department of Antiquities", still excavating on the Kourion acropolis5. Lists of the Department's heads place him between Michael Loulloupis and Sophocles Hadjisavvas17,18. His dates of birth and death are not recorded.

Life and work

  1. 1972
    Department rescue excavation of the looted Chalcolithic necropolis at Souskiou-Vathyrkakas: four intact tombs, with the Swiss-German Kouklia expedition; also cleared half of a tholos tomb; 28 tombs at Soloi in 1972.

    SouskiouNicolaou 1976Maier & Karageorghis 1984Karageorghis 1973

  2. 1973–1974
    Directed the Department's work at the Salamis theatre: outer retaining wall of the cavea in 1973, the area outside the cavea in 1974.

    SalamisKarageorghis 1974Karageorghis 1975

  3. 1975
    First Department season on the Acropolis of Kourion (30 x 20 m area); succeeded Loulloupis there per the AR; directed each season 1975-87 (8th campaign 1982, 9th 1983, 12th 1986, 13th 1987) and the 1990s baths, forum and beachfront basilica work.

    KourionNicolaou 1976Karageorghis 1983Karageorghis 1984Karageorghis 1987Karageorghis 1988IV 2014, p. 19

  4. 1976–1980
    Excavated parts of two large public buildings on the Kourion acropolis.

    KourionNicolaou 1981

  5. 1981
    Six tombs at Mandres, about 200 m south of Ayios Tychonas, excavated by the Department under his direction.

    Ayios TychonasKarageorghis 1982

  6. 1982
    Headed the new Department branch for folk architecture and folk art (later Modern Monuments and Museums), assisted by E. Rizopoulou-Egoumenidou, who later headed it.

    Stylianou-Lambert & Bounia 2016, p. 64

  7. 1987–1997
    Directed Kourion acropolis baths by the nymphaeum and, with E. Baxevani, the Chalcolithic cemetery at Souskiou-Vathyrkakas.

    SouskiouSteel 1997-1998

  8. 1991
    Hofstadter, writing of Oct 1991 efforts to get the stolen Kanakaria mosaics bought back, records speaking to 'the Cypriot Minister of Communications, Demos Christou'.

    Hofstadter 1994, p. 238

Connections

8 people
N. P. Stanley PriceFranz Georg MaierEuphrosyne Rizopoulou-Ego…Evi BaxevaniDanielle A. ParksSophocles HadjisavvasMichael LoulloupisA. ChristodoulouDemos Christou
FieldworkColleagues

Fieldwork & employment

Scholarship

Colleagues & contacts

Sources

  1. 1.K. Nicolaou (1976). “Archaeology in Cyprus, 1969-76”. Archaeological Reports 22.
  2. 2.K. Nicolaou (1981). “Archaeology in Cyprus, 1976-80”. Archaeological Reports 27.
  3. 3.D. J. Symons (1986-1987). “Archaeology in Cyprus, 1981-85”. Archaeological Reports 33, 62-77.
  4. 4.Louise Steel (1997-1998). “Archaeology in Cyprus 1987-1997”. Archaeological Reports 44, 137-149.
  5. 5.Ellen Herscher (1995). “Archaeology in Cyprus”. American Journal of Archaeology 99, 257-294.
  6. 6.Kyriakos Nicolaou (1973). “Archaeological News from Cyprus, 1972”. American Journal of Archaeology 77, 425-433.
  7. 7.V. Karageorghis (1973). “Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1972”. Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 97.
  8. 8.V. Karageorghis (1974). “Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1973”. Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 98.
  9. 9.V. Karageorghis (1975). “Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1974”. Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 99.
  10. 10.V. Karageorghis (1981). “Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1980”. Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 105.
  11. 11.V. Karageorghis (1982). “Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1981”. Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 106.
  12. 12.V. Karageorghis (1983). “Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1982”. Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 107.
  13. 13.V. Karageorghis (1984). “Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1983”. Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 108.
  14. 14.V. Karageorghis (1987). “Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1986”. Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 111.
  15. 15.V. Karageorghis (1988). “Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre en 1987”. Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 112.
  16. 16.F. G. Maier, V. Karageorghis (1984). Paphos: History and Archaeology. 383 pp.. Nicosia, A. G. Leventis Foundation.
  17. 17.F. G. Maier (2004). Guide to Palaipaphos (Kouklia). Nicosia, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation.
  18. 18.W. A. P. Childs (ed.), J. S. Smith (ed.), J. M. Padgett (ed.) (2012). City of Gold: The Archaeology of Polis Chrysochous, Cyprus. Princeton, Princeton University Art Museum.
  19. 19.Benjamin Costello IV (2014). Architecture and Material Culture from the Earthquake House at Kourion, Cyprus. Oxford, Archaeopress.
  20. 20.M. K. Toumazou (ed.), P. N. Kardulias (ed.), D. B. Counts (ed.) (2011). Crossroads and Boundaries: The Archaeology of Past and Present in the Malloura Valley, Cyprus.
  21. 21.T. Stylianou-Lambert, A. Bounia (2016). The Political Museum: Power, Conflict, and Identity in Cyprus.
  22. 22.Dan Hofstadter (1994). Goldberg's Angel: An Adventure in the Antiquities Trade.
  23. 23.Ian A. Todd (1978). “Vasilikos Valley Project: Second Preliminary Report, 1977”. Journal of Field Archaeology 5, 161-195. Online
  24. 24.Ian A. Todd (1982). “Vasilikos Valley Project: Fourth Preliminary Report, 1979-1980”. Journal of Field Archaeology 9, 35-77. Online
  25. 25.A. Le Brun (1997). Khirokitia: A Neolithic Site. Nicosia, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation.
  26. 26.Boldizsár Csornay-Caprez (2000). Cypriote Antiquities. Rome, L'Erma di Bretschneider.
  27. 27.D. Christou (1972). Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus 1972, 143-155.
  28. 28.N. P. Stanley Price, D. Christou (1973). “Excavations at Khirokitia 1972”. Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus, 1-33.