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JU archaeologists expand knowledge about ancient Paphos

JU archaeologists expand knowledge about ancient Paphos

Archaeologists from Kraków have completed another busy season at Paphos - the capital of ancient Cyprus. They were looking for a supposed ancient port and, among other finds, discovered interesting traces of economic activity on the agora.

Paphos is one of the most important archaeological sites on Cyprus. Founded in the western part of the island in the late 4th century BC, it became its capital city. Its ancient remains are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

“We assumed that there was another port serving the island’s capital next to the north-western city gate. This was suggested by the results of the previous research”, said the head of Paphos Agora Project Prof. Ewdoksia Papuci-Władyka from the Jagiellonian University Institute of Archaeology.

The main port of ancient Paphos was placed south of the city, similarly to its current location.

In previous years, the archaeologists from Kraków carried out a number of studies applying non-invasive methods in search for the second port at the opposite side of the city. They used geophysical equipment to detect structures buried underground, which resulted in finding some rectangular-shaped structures. The archaeologists suspected that all buildings could be part of the port infrastructure.

During the latest excavation season (in 2017), the archaeologists started limited verifying excavations in several places, some of which had been identified with geophysical methods. The researchers also wanted to learn more about the terrain – reconstruct the ancient geographic environment around Paphos using geo-archaeological methods.

“The arrangement of the layers of sand and earth above the bedrock indicates that there was no port in that area, but the existence of a harbour or an anchorage cannot be excluded”, says Prof. Papuci-Władyka. An anchorage is a relatively shallow area of water with the right type of sea bottom, used for anchoring ships.

The researchers also continued their geophysical research in other parts of Paphos with the aim of creating a complete geophysical map of this ancient city and learning more about its economic infrastructure. Among other findings, these studies resulted in showing the street grid as well as learning more about the structures in and around the agora – the central part of the city.

The discoveries made during the last year’s excavations include finding a complex hydraulic system consisting of two interconnected pools and part of a terracotta pipe. The pools were covered with waterproof hydraulic mortar placed on a bedding made from fragments of carefully selected roof tiles.

In previous years, while searching for economic infrastructure outside the agora, next to the northern walls of the city, the archaeologists also found remains of human activity possibly from the late Roman or Byzantine period. The research involving a magnetometer showed a regular circular structure, probably related to the use of fire. The excavations conducted to verify these findings revealed that it was a furnace, probably used to obtain quicklime from blocks, stones and human-made objects made of lime. “This means that the previously important parts of the city no longer played their representative role and were exploited almost like a quarry”, adds Prof. Papuci-Władyka. But even during the period of its greatness, the agora was used for smelting metal. The archaeologists found a furnace, which was used for that purpose during the reign of Octavian Augustus, that is, in the late 1st century BC or the early 1st century AD.

Interesting finds were also discovered next to the eastern entrance to the agora. This is where the archaeologists encountered a well, in which they found numerous items, including parts of ceramics and, what’s especially interesting, playing dice made of bone. The well was almost six meters deep. According to the researchers, it fulfilled its role until the middle 2nd century A.D.

Paphos is one of the most important archaeological sites on Cyprus. For centuries the city was the capital of the island. The recent findings of Polish archaeologists showed that its agora was founded in the Hellenistic era, i.e., 200 years earlier than it had previously been thought, which has been indicated by the remains of large structures from the period of Ptolemaic rule.

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