Foreman · Finder
Theocharis Koutsocheris
fl. 1870–1887 · Cyprus
Cesnola's one-handed chief digger at Amathus and Kourion, named in statements cited both for and against Cesnola in the dispute over the Curium Treasure.
Biography
Luigi Palma di Cesnola's chief digger had lost his right arm as a boy, and statements in his name were later cited both for and against Cesnola in the Curium Treasure dispute. Cesnola's own book names "Theocharis, one of my chief diggers", who crossed himself before going down into a deep tomb at Amathus4. Marangou prints a deposition made before Ioannis Kaloutsis, Greek Vice-Consul at Limassol, by "Ioannis Koutsocheris, called one handed", who says he was ordered to dig at Amathus in 1874 and that two sarcophagi "were carried away by the Consul". She dates it to 4 March 1875 and reads it as extracted by the General's "blackmail"1. A second statement she prints has him following Cesnola to Curium1.
Cesnola, in a postscript to a letter to Charles Newton, alleged that his foreman Theocharis, paid six shillings a day and given a house in Larnaca, stole several gold objects and sold them after Cesnola left Cyprus1. Marangou says Cesnola sought him through George Menardos, who pursued him from 1882 for a written testimony. She says Koutsocheris demanded money and was given it, and that the letter "supposedly signed by poor Koutsocheris" was written by the Larnaca lawyer N. P. Tsikinis1.
On 14 May 1883 a man named Théocharis made a declaration before Max Ohnefalsch-Richter, published in the Cyprus Herald around October of that year. In Masson's quotation he says "it is always we, the workmen, who found the fine objects", that Cesnola was present only by chance when the first chamber of the four-chamber tomb was opened, and that the bracelet bearing a Paphian king's inscription came from another tomb; Masson calls these statements very probable2. William James Stillman quoted a shorter version in the New York Times on 17 October 18846. The foreman Christofis Christodoulou swore in 1884 that he, not Theocharis, found the tomb, and that it had three chambers1. Early in 1886 Theocharis showed the French consul Castillon Saint-Victor the underground chambers called the treasure of Curium and guided him that winter3.
Life and work
- 1874–1876Named in Cesnola's own book as 'Theocharis, one of my chief diggers', who 'speedily divested himself of his superfluous clothing, and, as was his wont, entered first, previously making the sign of the cross' into a deep tomb at Amathus, and who 'had lost his right arm when a boy'. (Marangou p. 253 repeats the sign-of-the-cross detail.)
- 1874Ordered to dig at Amathus, where many stone-built tombs with sarcophagi were found; Cesnola lived there in tents; two sarcophagi 'were carried away by the Consul' (his words in the deposition printed by Marangou).
AmathusMarangou 2000, p. 253
- 4 March 1875Deposition before Ioannis Kaloutsis, Greek Vice-Consul at Limassol, as 'Ioannis Koutsocheris, called one handed ... preacher by profession', on his work at Amathus (the text printed by Marangou breaks off with '.....' after the Amathus tombs). Marangou thinks the General forced him to testify to the method of excavation and says it shows Cesnola was present at Amathus; she notes the deposition mentions two sarcophagi where Cesnola's book claims at least 30.
- 1875Dug with Christofis Christodoulou near Episkopi for a year (Christofis's affidavit). Christofis says: Theocharis told the elder Cesnola he had himself broken the mosaic earlier on the orders of the younger Cesnola, Alexander, for whom he had dug there before; Christofis, not Theocharis, found the rich three-chamber tomb first; the inscribed bracelets were found 'by Theocharis or a man called Giannis from the village of Mosphiloti'; Theocharis broke a stone cart with his foot. All attributed to Christofis.
Episkopi / KourionMarangou 2000, pp. 339-341
- 1877–1879Cesnola, in a postscript to a letter to Charles Newton, says one of his foremen, 'His name is Theocharis', to whom he paid 6 shillings a day and gave a good house in Larnaca, 'stole several gold objects and sold them after I left the island', information he credits to the French and Russian consuls. Allegation by Cesnola; not tested in the source.
- 1877–1879NamedCesnola alleged in a letter that the foreman Theocharis stole several gold objects and sold them after Cesnola left; Marangou quotes it without any finding.
- December 1882 – January 1883Menardos wrote to the Larnaca lawyer N. P. Tsikinis (13 Dec 1882) asking for a written testimony from Theocharis on the Curium excavations; Tsikinis wrote to Menardos on 24 Jan 1883. Marangou: the resulting letter 'supposedly signed by poor Koutsocheris' was 'of course written by' Tsikinis, and Koutsocheris 'naturally demanded money', paid by Cesnola through Menardos. Marangou's inference, not shown by the letter text she prints.
- 14 May 1883Declaration made before Ohnefalsch-Richter by 'a certain Théocharis, one of Cesnola's principal diggers', published in the Cyprus Herald around October 1883 and translated by Henri de Morgan (L'Homme 1, 1884, pp. 460-463). As Masson quotes it: the four-chamber tomb 'belongs to the great necropolis outside the town'; Cesnola happened to be present when the first of the four chambers was found; 'Cesnola's great talent was to profit from us Cypriots, and it is always we workmen who found the fine objects and the good places'; 'We never found a single treasure or tomb containing many valuable objects, but several rich burials; I myself discovered three very fine ones and my late father another'; the four-chamber tomb is the richest he knows of; the bracelet with the Paphian king's inscription came from another Curium tomb, not 'the treasure'. Masson calls his declarations 'très vraisemblables'.
- 1883–1884Menardos sought Cesnola's leave to pay Theocharis, 'whose testimony was the most important one', more than 2 pounds (Lazaris 2-3 pounds; 3-4 shillings for others), and Menardos and the lawyer Collyre took testimonies from Theocharis, Lazaris and Mustafa 'during 1884'; Cesnola was also writing to Theocharis from New York (Menardos to Cesnola, 15 Mar 1884, n. 11; sums in the letter of 25 Jan 1885, n. 12). Marangou reads this as Cesnola 'easily' buying men 'to confirm ... the myth of the Curium excavations'. Her inference; the letters themselves are unpublished.
- 17 October 1884Stillman's letter to the New York Times says Richter 'taken the depositions of the agents and workmen employed by the late American Consul' and quotes 'the Cypriote Theocharis, stated by Cesnola to be "one of my chief diggers"': the tomb was opened by him, Cesnola's plan is 'absolutely incorrect', Cesnola 'was only present by chance when the first chamber was opened and left immediately after for Ormidia'; 'I have myself found three very fine, and my late father, Constantinas Sava, found another'; 'I dug a year and a half at Curium'. This is the 1883 declaration in a shorter English form.
LondonStillman 1884, p. 8
- 28 March 1885Marangou: W. J. Stillman 'managed to make both Theocharis and Christofis, the two "loyal" foremen of Cesnola, turn against him'; Stillman's report of 28 March 1885 printed Christofis's affidavit.
- 1886Early in 1886 showed the French consul Eugène de Castillon Saint-Victor 'the underground chambers called the treasure of Curium', and guided and helped him during his winter 1886-87 campaign (Masson).
CuriumMasson 1984
- UndatedTestimony given 'in the presence of the Consul of Greece' (Marangou's words) on the Curium discovery: Cesnola took him and other diggers from Amathus to Curium; digging began in 1875 and Cesnola 'stayed there for a long period directing the excavations and living under the tents'; they opened a big tomb of four rooms, all the gold in the first room, silver bowls stuck together in the second ('I saw the Consul ... he broke two of them'); Cesnola, he and the other diggers tried to enter a narrow corridor with candles but the air was foul. This version supports Cesnola's presence and a four-room find.
Connections
11 peopleFamily
- Child of Constantinas Sava
Fieldwork & employment
- Employed by Luigi Palma di Cesnola1870–1885
- Dug for Luigi Palma di Cesnola1874–1876
- Guided Vicomte Eugène de Castillon de Saint-Victor1886–1887
- Employed by Alessandro (Alexander) Palma di Cesnola
- Dug for Alessandro (Alexander) Palma di Cesnolapossibly
Disputes & the law
- Testified about Ioannis Kaloutsis1875
- Testified about Luigi Palma di Cesnola1875–1885
- Testified about Max Ohnefalsch-Richter1883
- Testified about William James Stillman1884–1885
Colleagues & contacts
- Worked with Christofis Christodoulou1875
- Worked with Giannispossibly1875
- Connected with Ioannis Kaloutsis1875
- Connected with George Menardos1882–1884
- Connected with N. P. Tsikinisprobably1882–1883
- Connected with William James Stillman1884–1885
- Met Max Ohnefalsch-Richter1885
On Ancient Cyprus
1 page- The Price of Rough MetalArticle
Sources
- 1.A. G. Marangou (ed.) (2000). The Consul Luigi Palma di Cesnola 1832-1904: Life and Deeds.
- 2.O. Masson (1984). “Cesnola et le trésor de Curium (I)”. Cahiers du Centre d'Études Chypriotes 1.
- 3.O. Masson (1984). “Cesnola et le trésor de Curium (II)”. Cahiers du Centre d'Études Chypriotes 2.
- 4.L. P. di Cesnola (1878). Cyprus: Its Ancient Cities, Tombs, and Temples.
- 5. (1930). “Testimony of Theocharis Koutsocheris”. Kypriaka Chronika 4, 283-284.
- 6.W. J. Stillman (1884). “Recent Investigations in Cyprus”. New York Times, 8.
- 7.H.-G. Buchholz (1989). “Max Ohnefalsch-Richter als Archäologe auf Zypern”. Cahiers du Centre d'Études Chypriotes 11-12, 3-27.
- 8.Michael Given (2025). “Over the landscape, in the landscape? Knowledge and agency in Cypriot archaeology, 1870-1910”. Empire & Excavation: Critical perspectives on archaeology in British-period Cyprus, 1878-1960. Leiden, Sidestone Press.