Ancient CyprusAncient Cyprus

Antiquities official · Excavator · Archaeologist · Curator

Michael Loulloupis

fl. 1964–2012 · Cyprus

Cypriot Department of Antiquities archaeologist who excavated at Kourion and Amathus, became Curator of the Cyprus Museum, and was reported as Director of the Department in 1991-92.

Biography

Michael Loulloupis directed the Department of Antiquities' excavations at Kourion from 1967 and in the lower city of Amathus from 1977 to 1987, and was later the Department's director. In 1964 he and A. Christodoulou, described as two young archaeologists, filled the vacant posts in the Department's exploration section, which dealt mainly with chance finds1. At Kourion his campaigns began in 1967 with a Roman villa southeast of the House of Achilles, later called the House of the Gladiators. Later seasons uncovered marble statues of Hermes and Asklepios, a bath suite, and in 1973 the first street found at the site3,4,8,23. He published the first report in Greek in 197141.

At Amathus he excavated a tomb in the east necropolis in 1972, then the Early Christian basilica and a pagan temple near the east wall in 1974 to 1976. From 1977 he worked in the lower city, around the agora, through 19877,9,10,11,12,21. As Survey officer he gave Ian A. Todd's Vasilikos Valley Project information on sites27.

By 1982 he was titled Curator of the Archaeological Museums and of the Exploration Services, and in 1983 Director of the Exploration Services17,18. The American Expedition to Idalion volume of 1989 thanks him as the present Curator of the Cyprus Museum29. Joanna S. Smith, who worked in Cyprus in 1991 and 1992, writes that he was then director of the Department of Antiquities and was succeeded by Demos Christou34.

Life and work

  1. 1964
    One of two young archaeologists (with A. Christodoulou) who filled the vacant posts of the Department's Section d'Exploration Archeologique, which resumed after nearly five years and dealt chiefly with accidental discoveries.

    NicosiaKarageorghis 1965

  2. 1966
    Excavated, with A. Christodoulou, tombs registered under the 'C.S.' (Cyprus Survey) prefix; material kept in the Survey's premises.

    Karageorghis 1967

  3. 1967
    Directed the Department's first campaign at Kourion's city site (Aeropole sector, southeast of the House of Achilles): a small Roman villa of the late third century destroyed in the fourth-century earthquakes; furnished with bathrooms, hypocausts, mosaics.

    KourionKarageorghis 1968Nicolaou 1969

  4. 1968
    Second campaign at the villa (later the House of the Gladiators): trithyron hall and central part of the house. The 1968 report (reported in BCH 1969) records a 'rich harvest' of sculpture, the first near-life-size statues from the Kourion city site; the Archaeological Reports later name the marble statues of Hermes and of Asklepios found that year in the east part of the house.

    KourionKarageorghis 1969Nicolaou 1976

  5. 1969–1973
    Resumed work at the House of the Gladiators: a long corridor and six rooms north of the central court, the east room with the Hermes and Asklepios statues, and an east bath with praefurnium, frigidarium, caldarium and tepidarium. Seasons reported: 1969 (the third Department campaign at Kourion), 1971, 1972 (sixth campaign, east sector), 1973 (a late Roman building and the first excavated street at Kourion). Costello says he excavated at Kourion in a series of campaigns lasting to 1974, uncovering the House of the Gladiators and the House of the Apsed Triclinium.

    KourionKarageorghis 1970Karageorghis 1972Karageorghis 1973Karageorghis 1974Nicolaou 1976IV 2014

  6. 1971
    Published the Greek-language report of the Kourion dig 1967-1970, 'The House of the Gladiators', in RDAC 1971, pp. 86-116.

    IV 2014Rogge et al. 2019

  7. 1972
    Rescue excavation in the east necropolis of Amathus: a built tomb with a 13-step dromos and doors imitating stone, found looted, re-used in Graeco-Roman times. The site then ran in parallel with Kourion.

    AmathusKarageorghis 1973Nicolaou 1976

  8. 1974–1976
    Directed the Department's excavations of the east necropolis of Amathus: second built tomb (1974), the Early Christian basilica (one-aisled, three added chapels, mosaic floor, a courtyard to the west leading to a complex with cisterns and an olive press), the pagan temple near the east wall, and the final clearance of the basilica in 1976.

    AmathusKarageorghis 1975Karageorghis 1976Karageorghis 1977Nicolaou 1976

  9. 1977–1987
    Directed the Department's excavations in the lower city of Amathus (agora area, Palaea Lemessos): a paved open area, Doric capitals, an entablature with dedicatory inscription (1980), a porticoed court with rainwater guttering and a staircase to a large rectangular building (1982-85), the east side of the agora (1987). The 1984 season was funded by the Cypriot government and the shipping company Amathus Ltd. Seasons: 1977, 1978 (second), 1979, 1980 (fourth), 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987.

    AmathusKarageorghis 1978Karageorghis 1981Karageorghis 1985Karageorghis 1988Nicolaou 1981Symons 1986-1987

  10. 1977
    As officer of the Cyprus Survey supplied information on sites in the Vasilikos valley to the Brandeis-sponsored Vasilikos Valley Project and (1979-80) handled land ownership and registration of sites as Ancient Monuments.

    Vasilikos valleyTodd 1978Todd 1982

  11. 1978
    Alerted by the Department, excavated the first of a series of Middle Bronze Age tombs (CS. 2434) found under bulldozed ground east of the Panayia church at Kalavasos; the other twelve (CS. 2435-2447) were dug by the Vasilikos Valley mission.

    KalavasosKarageorghis 1979

  12. 1979
    Co-editor of the Dikaios memorial volume (Studies Presented in Memory of Porphyrios Dikaios, Nicosia 1979) with V. Karageorghis, H. W. Catling, K. Nicolaou, A. Papageorghiou, D. Christou and I. Nicolaou; contributed 'The position of the bull in the prehistoric religions of Crete and Cyprus' to the 1978 Cyprus-Crete symposium acts (pp. 213-222).

    NicosiaPapuci-Władyka 2020Barker 2012

  13. 1982
    Titled 'Conservateur des Musees archeologiques et des Services d'exploration archeologique' in the 1982 report; 'Directeur des Services d'Exploration' in 1983; in 1987 'Conservateur des Musees archeologiques et Directeur du Service de l'Exploration'.

    Karageorghis 1983Karageorghis 1984Karageorghis 1988

  14. 1987
    Paper in Greek on the state archaeological museums of Cyprus (First Museology Meeting, Hellenic Committee of ICOM), cited as by the Curator of the Cyprus Museum.

    AthensStylianou-Lambert & Bounia 2016

  15. 1989
    Published 'A Rural Cult Place in the Soloi Area' (Tatton-Brown 1989, pp. 68-83) and 'Hunting scenes on Cypriot vases of the Geometric period' (Peltenburg 1989, pp. 171-179), interpreting a Bichrome III loop-leg jar (Cyprus Museum 1935/B 1988) as a bird-catching scene.

    Childs et al. 2012Merrillees 2017

  16. 1991–1992
    Director of the Department of Antiquities in 1991-92 (Smith 2009: 'its director at that time was Michael Loulloupis; he was succeeded by Demos Christou'); the City of Gold, Athienou and Palaipaphos teams list him between Papageorghiou and Christou among the Directors.

    NicosiaSmith 2009, p. 13Childs et al. 2012Toumazou et al. 2011Maier 2004

  17. 1991
    Pavlos Flourentzos began a new Department excavation in the lower city of Amathus at Palea Lemesos, succeeding the excavations carried out for many years by Michael Loulloupis in the neighbouring area of the agora.

    AmathusHerscher 1995

Connections

5 people
A. ChristodoulouPavlos FlourentzosAthanasios PapageorghiouIno (Ioanna) NicolaouDemos ChristouMichael Loulloupis
FieldworkColleagues

Fieldwork & employment

Colleagues & contacts

On Ancient Cyprus

1 page

Sources

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  44. 44.M. C. Loulloupis (1989). “Hunting scenes on Cypriot vases of the Geometric period”. Early Society in Cyprus, 171-179. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press.
  45. 45.M. Loulloupis (1987). “Τα κρατικά αρχαιολογικά μουσεία της Κύπρου”. Proceedings of the First Museology Meeting, 30-38. Athens, Hellenic Committee of ICOM.