Newsletter 46 Fall 2014 - Cyprus American Archaeological

CAARI NEWS
CYPRUS AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Number 46
Library Expansion Project In September 2014 work began on the CAARI Library Expansion Project. CAARI
Director Andrew McCarthy wrote this description at the early stages of the work.
This is an early update on the Library Expansion project. First, digging has
begun. The contractors will dig in stages, reinforcing as they go, testing for structural
integrity before proceeding deeper. This ensures that the new structure will be of
solid construction while maintaining the integrity of the existing building. It is
important because CAARI’s historic original townhouse is not built on any sort of
substantial subterranean foundation.
The first step was to drill down to the deepest level and embed vertical
steel double I-beams (see pp. 6–7). These have been put in place. As a consequence
of drilling down to the deepest level, we also discovered that the height of the
water table will not be a serious issue for the basement. In only one corner of the
plot was there any hint of water; and since the entire basement will be sealed with
waterproofing, this small amount of groundwater will not be a problem.
Fall 2014
Andrew McCarthy
Inside this Issue
Library Expansion Project
.......................................... 1–2
President’s Report ............... 3
Director’s Corner ................. 4
From Cyprus to Cambodia...
and on to Australia ........ 4–5
33rd Annual Archaeological
Workshop ............................ 5
Progress on the CAARI
Library Expansion .......... 6–7
Tribute: G. R. H. Wright,
1924–2014 by Stuart Swiny
................................................ 8
Donors to CAARI ................ 9
O’Donovan Fellow’s
Report: Cheryl Hart..........10
Parks Memorial Fellowship:
Alicia Dissinger .................11
Recently Published CAARI
Conferences ....................... 11
Beneath the CAARI Garden:
Mechanical excavator at work in
what only days before had been the
CAARI garden.
(continued on p. 2)
CAARI NEWS
1
(continued from p. 1)
The first shallow trench has been dug, and
concrete revetments are being sprayed on as I write. So
now the entire breadth of the footprint of the library
extension can be seen, albeit not yet the full depth. In
the next week or two the contractors will be installing
anchors for the steel beams and then testing the integrity
of the structure as built so far. At a recent meeting, all
the contractors and consultants seemed satisifed with
the progress to date, including the architect, Stefane
Fissentzides, and structural engineer, Nikos Kalathas.
The finances are being looked after and the payments
are being arranged by our Quantity Surveyor, Christos
Koupparis, paid out of a separate account using
separate project management software adapted for this
purpose.
Despite this early progress, however, there
was also an early problem: the mechanical excavator
struck the overhead power cables extending from power
poles on the street to the existing building, causing
a short leading to massive power spikes in CAARI’s
electrical system. The operator had failed to ground
his machine properly. Thankfully no one was injured;
but unfortunately a good bit of damage was done to
electronic and electrical items in CAARI. To the credit
of the contractor and subcontractors, they swung into
action immediately. I have spoken to our insurance
company, and they are aware that the contractor’s
insurance is taking care of things.
I have asked for a complete evaluation of the
electrical system in the entire building so we know what
is damaged and how badly. In addition to the damages
that are immediately apparent, I wanted to make certain
of the long term integrity of CAARI’s electrical system.
A thorough evaluation will be done by our electrical
engineer Andreas Karayiannis of UNEMEC. Also,
Pambos Kalopsidiotis from Everex has been busy fixing
our IT and telephony, etc. Most items to be replaced
Groundbreaking Ceremony: CAARI President Ray Ewing
at the groundbreaking for the Library Expansion Project,
May 23, 2014.
will be paid for directly by the contractor, but for items
such as residents’ equipment that needed to be replaced
right away, we paid this out directly and have asked for
reimbursement from the contractor.
Despite this, I am pleased with the progress.
There are clear procedures, and an accident like this
shows that even major disruptions can be handled
carefully and thoroughly. This incident does not shake
my confidence in the contractor’s work. Yiannakis
Achilleos from LP Angastaniotis Ltd. is on site every day
and was quick to respond when this happened. We have
employed some of the best companies in the industry,
and we have superb people such as Chris Christodoulou
and Aristos Cacoutas from J&P seconded by Efthyvolous
Paraskevaides who are all looking after CAARI’s
interests.
Excavation for the Library Expansion: Concrete revetments being sprayed on.
2—CAARI NEWS—
President’s Report
Raymond C. Ewing
The CAARI Board of Trustees met in Nicosia on May 26, 2014, the first such meeting to take place in Cyprus
since 2001. This gave those Trustees who travelled to Cyprus, along with the eight trustees resident on the island, an
opportunity to review the current state of CAARI and to renew contacts with friends and associates. Newly elected ASOR
President Susan Ackerman attended as a special guest.
In addition to the board meeting, there were a number of events and activities over a five-day period. Particularly
important was the groundbreaking for the CAARI Library Expansion Project on Friday, May 23. This marked an
significant milestone for all who have supported this project (see p. 2).
Trustees also visited various archaeological sites of importance to individual trustees. There were also several
functions in Nicosia including a reception hosted by the U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Schofer and his
wife Karen Enstrom at their residence.
At the Board meeting, trustees reviewed the Library Expansion Project with Director Andrew McCarthy. The
board also examined CAARI’s finances and approved a budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014. They also
discussed many other aspects of CAARI’s programs and activities.
Always important at CAARI’s spring meeting is the election of officers and new trustees. I am pleased that all
current CAARI officers agreed to continue in office for another year. The board re-elected two trustees for second threeyear terms: Clay Constantinou and Ioanna Kakoulli.
Six new trustees were elected for three-year terms beginning July 1, 2014: Joan Breton Connelly, Thomas Davis,
Pamela Gaber, Mary-Ellen Lane, Ronald Schlicher, and Brigitte Treumann. Each brings to the board particular strengths
and backgrounds which will benefit CAARI in the years ahead.
I would like to thank warmly the four CAARI trustees who concluded their service on June 30, 2014: Takey Crist,
A. Bernard Knapp, Charles L. “Pete” Perry, and Alan H. Simmons. I am confident that their interest in and support for
CAARI will continue.
For my wife Penelope Yungblut and me, it was wonderful to again be on Cyprus. Especially memorable was the
opportunity to be at the U.S. Embassy when Vice President Joe Biden met and greeted Embassy staff and families. Biden’s
visit to Cyprus was the first by an U.S. Vice President since 1962 when Lyndon Johnson came to Nicosia. Vice President
Biden’s presence clearly manifests the United States’ special interest in the island. CAARI is a key link in the cultural
relationship between the two countries.
To maintain that link and support the work of the many scholars from around the globe who come to CAARI,
your support is extremely important. You make it possible for CAARI to carry out its mission and to expand its vision.
Thank you! I encourage you to send a check to CAARI in Boston or use the click-and-pledge feature on the CAARI web
site, www.caari.org. Contributions are tax deductible and are always deeply appreciated.
Meeting in Nicosia: CAARI Trustees and staff in the Library, May 26, 2014.
—CAARI NEWS—3
Director’s Corner
Andrew P. McCarthy
Not since it moved into its historic building at 11 Andreas Demitriou has there been such a vitally important
moment for CAARI. Work has begun on the Library Expansion Project, funded by a National Endowment for the
Humanities Challenge Grant and generous donations from CAARI’s many friends and supporters. To meet the growing
needs of the library, CAARI’s most valuable resource, we are going underground. The resulting two new levels will
nearly triple the size of the library and feature state-of-the-art storage for books and archives. This is a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to expand the Institute’s physical space to meet growing needs and adapt to changing library technologies.
On 23 May 2014, CAARI broke ground for the start of the Library Expansion Project. Numerous Trustees were
present along with many friends and colleagues (see pp. 2–3). After an archaeological investigation of the site to ensure
that the excavations would not encounter any ancient strata (all deposits were confirmed as 20th century A.D.), the
digging began in earnest (see pp. 1–2, 6–7).
The project is scheduled to take 14 months, meaning substantial completion by autumn 2015. Afterwards it will
take time to furnish and occupy the new space, so full opening of the Library Expansion is expected in spring 2016. The
plan includes renovation of the CAARI garden to make it an attractive space for residents and a venue for CAARI events.
In June CAARI held the 33rd Annual Archaeological Workshop, this year in collaboration with both the
Department of Antiquities and the University of Cyprus Archaeological Research Unit. This was almost certainly the
biggest workshop ever, with over 200 in attendance, including the U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus, Mr. John Koenig and
his wife Natalie. The number and diversity of students, researchers and members of the public attending reflect a broad
interest in current archaeological work in Cyprus (see p. 5).
This past fall CAARI welcomed Junior Fulbright Fellow. Alicia Dissinger, who was earlier a Parks Fellow (see p.
11), and Senior Scholar-in-Residence, Dr. Smadar Gabrieli. We look forward to these and our other CAARI Fellows and
scholars presenting their research in the 2014–15 CAARI Lecture Series.
Although in some ways life carries on at CAARI, there are many changes taking place in the next year, ones that
will enable the Institute to support many more years of productive scholarship. I encourage you to join us in Nicosia if
you are able, and please to give generously to help us sustain our activities. As CAARI expands, both physically and in
the numbers of people that we serve, so too will our challenges grow.
... and on to Australia
Andrew P. McCarthy
In March 2013, CAARI held the conference, “JRB Stewart: An Archaeological Legacy,” to mark the one hundredth
anniversary of the birth of this eminent Australian scholar of the Cypriot Bronze Age. The proceedings were published in
December 2013 (see p. 11). A common thread throughout the conference linked Australia to Cyprus and CAARI, so it was
appropriate to extend my CAORC trip to Cambodia (see p. 5) eastward to Australia to give lectures and promote the book.
My first destination was Melbourne, a nexus of Mediterranean research with Melbourne University, La Trobe
University and the Australian Institute of Archaeology. After lectures at Melbourne University and La Trobe, I joined Drs.
Christopher Davey and Jennifer Webb at the Australian Institute of Archaeology in speaking about James and Eve Stewart
and their legacies in Australia, in Cyprus and at CAARI.
At the University of Sydney Candace Richards showed me around the Nicholson Museum (where Stewart was
once a Curator); however, I missed Dr. Craig Barker who at the time was digging at the Nea Paphos amphitheater.
After Sydney I went to the University of New England in Armidale. Here the book tour came full circle, as it was
Professor Gregory Horsley of UNE, who, as Senior Scholar-in-Residence at CAARI in 2011, had initially discussed with
me the idea of the Stewart conference. Dr. Pamela Watson kindly showed me the archaeological collections and the large
Stewart archive there. This was important to see, as CAARI has its own small Stewart archive, and it will be worthwhile
coordinating efforts to make all this material accessible to researchers.
After Armidale was Brisbane and the University of Queensland, where I met Dr. Andrew Sneddon, who has
reopened excavations at Alambra Mouttes, and Dr. Judy Powell who attended the Stewart conference and recently
published an excellent biography on Stewart (see CAARI News 44, pp. 6–7).
4—CAARI NEWS—
33rd Archaeological Workshop
The 33rd Annual CAARI Archaeological Workshop was held in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities
Cyprus and the Archaeological Research Unit (ARU) of the University of Cyprus on Saturday, June 28, 2014, at the
University of Cyprus New Campus, Aglantzia, Senate House, A. G. Leventis Building, Amphitheater A108.
Welcome and Introductory Remarks: Dr. Andrew McCarthy, CAARI Director, and Dr. Marina Solomidou-Ieronymidou,
Director of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus
Ais Giorkis: First Colonists Project – Alan Simmons
Prasteio Mesorotsos Archaeological Expedition 2014 – Vasiliki Koutrafouri and Lisa Graham
Politiko Troullia and Surrounding Landscapes – Steve Falconer and Pat Fall
Kissonerga Skalia – Ian Hill (for Lindy Crewe)
Investigations of Late Bronze Age Urban Port Settlements in the Kalavasos, Maroni and Tochni Cluster – Sturt Manning
Tochni Lakkia – Georgia Andreou
Palaepaphos: The Late Bronze Age – Artemis Georgiou
Palaepaphos Hadjiabdoulla: The Citadel Wall – Stella Diakou
Lycoming College Expedition to Idalion – Pamela Gaber
Idalion: The Phoenician Archive – Maria Hadjicosti, Maria Juilia Amadasi Guzzo and Jose-Angel Zamora Lopez
Athienou Archaeological Project – Michael Toumazou
Yeronisos Island Excavations – Joan Breton Connelly
Moni Valley Survey Project – Oliva Menozzi
Moulding Expressions of Culture: Terracotta Figurines from the House of Orpheus, Nea Paphos – Giorgos Papantoniou
Kourion Urban Space Project, Season Three – William Weir
Stirring Pots on Fire: Diachronic and Interdisciplinary Study of Cooking Pots from Cyprus (CCP) – Athanasios Vionis
Current Excavations in the Palace of Amathous – Thierry Petit and Isabelle Tassignon
The reception following the workshop was held this year in the courtyard of the Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios House
and Ethnographic Museum, Old City, Nicosia, preceded by a tour of the museum led by Maria Michael.
From Cyprus to Cambodia
Andrew P. McCarthy
One of the great things about CAARI’s membership in the Council for American Overseas Research Institutes
(CAORC) is that it affords opportunities for connections around the world. CAORC’s reach is global; and as part of
CAORC’s global network, CAARI contacts and cooperation are global as well. On my recent trip to Australia to promote
CAARI and the recent publication of JRB Stewart: An Archaeological Legacy (2013) (see pp. 4, 11), I took the opportunity to
connect Cyprus with Cambodia, an exchange which at first glance seems extremely unlikely. In fact, however, Cambodia
and Cyprus have more in common than meets the eye; and this visit allowed me to catch a glimpse of another beautiful
world and allowed CAORC’s Center for Khmer Studies (CKS) to have a good look at Cyprus.
Cyprus is famously a crossroads of civilizations in which a plurality of identities uniquely combined to create a
distinctive “Cypriot character.” Cambodia too occupies a crossroads in Southeast Asia, acting as a meeting point of major
southest Asian civilizations for thousands of years. For a period of time, Cambodia, exemplified most prominently by
Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and other monuments, was the center of this world. The diversity of cultures that converged
in Cambodia created a pluralistic, but nonetheless uniquely Cambodian identity that continues to this day.
In Cambodia I met Dr. Krisna Uk, the extremely hospitable Director of CKS. She and the CKS staff made me feel
very welcome, and I warmly accepted their invitation to lecture on “Aphrodite’s Ancestors.” The audience was engaged,
actively looking for connections between Cyprus and Cambodia, and in the ensuing discussion some of these connections
were made. Both CKS and CAARI seek to facilitate high-quality research for an international group of scholars involved
in the study of the past and present, integrating this into modern understandings of culture and history.
I deeply enjoyed my visit to Cambodia, not only because it was a beautiful, exotic and friendly place with
amazing archaeology and world-class scholars capable of making the most of it. I also liked visiting a place that at times
felt remote, isolated and independent, while simultaneously feeling central, connected and vital. Living in Cyprus as I do,
these feelings were very familiar to me.
—CAARI NEWS—5
CAARI LIBRARY
In the fall of
2014 work began
on the CAARI
Library
Expansion
Project.
Here are some
views of early
progress on the
site.
Preparing the Site: Work gets underway with the removal of the exterior stone wall
along Andreas Demitriou Street, September 2014.
Excavation Continues: Digging down to create the new underground space as seen
from Andreas Demitriou Street. Double I-beams are visible in the section.
6—CAARI NEWS—
EXPANSION PROJECT
Detail: Double I-beams in position
Machinery on Site: In the foreground, the giant auger moves into place; suspended in
the background is a set of double I-beams that will be positioned vertically to support
the underground perimeter wall.
Detail: Funnel in place
Construction Underway: A cement mixer waits to fill the freshly augered hole into
which I-beams have been lowered. The giant funnel will direct cement around the I-beams.
—CAARI NEWS—7
Tribute: George Roy Haslam Wright, 4 March 1924–25 July 2014
Stuart Swiny
G. R. H. “Mick” Wright was one of a kind. And what a kind! Eccentric, brilliant, erudite and worldly—how many
people can casually mention navigating by “dead reckoning” through the great Libyan desert and in the next breadth
discuss esoteric religious philosophy?
Mick was a man of many talents and I welcomed him to CAARI in the early 1980s, considering him a valuable
addition to the small circle of regulars who then frequented the Institute. On first sight young graduate students would
wonder about this tall, distinguished, periodically monocled but always casually dressed Australian, until they spoke
with him and realized how fascinating he was. Frugal by nature he acted as “caretaker” of the new CAARI building from
its purchase to the start of renovations, by camping out in what would become the library while working on Ancient
Building in Cyprus. Periodically he would be visited by his
wife Pauline, a striking red-head and equally memorable
character, whose high-ranking position in the United
Nations World Health Organization kept her frequently
on the move.
Mick and I soon discovered that we had much in
common, as, remarkably, he had drawn plans for or
worked on digs with most of the people I had studied under
or excavated with during the formative years of my
archaeological career. Mick played a significant role in the
professional development of American archaeologists
working in the Near East, as is so clearly emphasized by
Christopher Davey in his authoritative discussion of Mick’s
life and legacy (see “G.R.H. (Mick) Wright: A remarkable
Australian archaeological architect” in Buried History. Journal
of the Australian Institute of Archaeology 49 [2103]: 37–52.).
But Mick never bragged of his connections or achievements
which included 16 books and a remarkable 183 scholarly
papers and book reviews. He is best known for the fine
publications chronicling the dismantling and reconstruction
of Kalabsha, a Ptolemaic temple threatened by the waters of
the Aswan High Dam (Kalabsha III. The Ptolemaic Sanctuary
of Kalabsha: Its Reconstruction on Elephantine Island. Mainz am
Rein: P. von Zabern, 1987), and the now standard reference
works Ancient Building in South Syria and Palestine (1985)
and Ancient Building in Cyprus (1992).
In their later years, Mick and Pauline made their
home on the l’Ile de la Barthelasse on the Rhone River
opposite Avignon in France, where Pauline died in 2012.
Mick and Pauline enriched the lives of all who knew them,
and we were fortunate that they graced CAARI with their
presence for so many years.
Mick Wright with his characteristic mane of hair at work on the
Drew-McCormick Shechem Excavations at Tell Balata, 1960s.
(photograph courtesy of Christopher Davey)
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8—CAARI NEWS—
Contributions to CAARI
CAARI is grateful to its many contributors. Cash donations make up a third of its budget, enabling CAARI to
support research in Cyprus and to spread the knowledge of Cypriot archaeology and history to a wider audience. Make
a secure on-line donation at www.caari.org or send a check to CAARI’s office at Boston University.
Equally important are donations to our library in Nicosia, for which please contact CAARI Librarian Katerina
Mavromichalou <librarian@caari.org.cy>.
CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED NOVEMBER 15, 2013, to DECEMBER 31, 2014
Theodore Djaferis
Vassos Demetriou
Honorary Consul,
Republic of Cyprus
$5,000 to $9,999
Giraud Foster
Ambassador Galen Stone
Mark and Sara Gibson
Seymour Gitin
$1,000 to $4,999
Elaine Godwin
Susan Ackerman
Frederick Graboske
Annemarie Weyl Carr
Rebecca Hamilton
Claire Cohen
Nicholas Herrmann
Tom and Jenny Davis
Eliabeth Hess
Catherine Deans-Barrett
Nicolle Hirschfeld
Barbara Eaves
(C. Howard Pieper Foundation) ISD LLC
Distributor of Scholarly Books
Raymond Ewing
Ambassador Andrew Jacovides
Joseph A. Greene
Lynn Jones
and Eileen Caves
Don Keller
Ioanna Kakoulli
A. Bernard Knapp
Susan Katzev
James Lagos
Ann-Marie Knoblauch
John Lavezzi
Robert Larson
Justin Leidwanger
Sturt Manning
and Elizabeth Greene
Brian Shelburne
Gloria London
Michael Toumazou
Sherrilyn and Donald Martin
Frederick Winter
Gregory Mestanas
Birgitta Wohl
Robert Moore
Patricia Plum Wylde
Kate Murashige
$500 to $999
Jay Noller and Lisa Wells
Celia Bergoffen
Dino Pappas
Thomas Davis
Virginia Popper
Pamela Gaber
Barbara Porter
Priscilla Keswani
John and Barbara Ratigan
Robert Larson
Marcus Rautman
Charles (Pete) Perry
David Reese
Nancy Serwint
and Catherine Sease
Alan Simmons
Vasilis and Alice Riginos
Gisela Walberg
Jeremy and Sarah Rutter
Jennifer Webb
Joanna Savvides
F. Bryan Wilkins
R. Thomas Schaub
James Schryver
$100 to $499
Joe Seger
Peter and Susan Allen
Leigh and Jean Smith
Albert Ammerman
Alison South
Andante Travels
Ruth Stein
Erin Averett
Tandy Institute of Archaeology,
Roger Bagnall
Southwestern Baptist
Jane Barlow
Theological Seminary
Sarah Bassett
William and Regina Turner
Jane and William Biers
Richard Weir
Alexander Boswell
Robert J. Wozniak Jr.
Hon. Thomas Boyatt
Robin Brown
Up to $99
Tim and Linda Clougherty
Benjamin and Marcia Adler
Nancy Corbin
Ambassador Donald
Rebecca Corrie
and Mrs. Jane Bandler
Lindy Crewe
Neal Bierling
C. Edward and Marita Dillery
Hanan Charaf
$10,000 to $19,999
William Andreas
Anne Melvin
John Cherry
Chronos Travel
Sophia Henry Trust
Penelope Karageorge
Rachel Kulick
John Lavezzi
Anna Mallis
Herbert Morse
Tassos Papacosta
Hans Pohlsander
Kathleen Slane
Carolyn Snively
Lisa Tauxe
Andrew Vaughn
CAARI Endowment
John Cherry
Penelope Yungblut
CAARI Library Fund
Jane Barlow
Nancy Corbin
Bert and Sally DeVries
Barbara McNulty
Pangratios Papacosta
Amy and Athanasios
Papalexandrou
Jean Peyrat
Joe Seger
Denny and Margo Stavros
Birgitta Wohl
CAARI NYC Event
William Andreas
Annemarie Weyl Carr
Raymond Ewing
Ioanna Kakoulli
Ann-Marie Knoblach
Birgitta Wohl
CAARI Operating
Raymond Ewing
Pamela Gaber
Rebecca Hamilton
Sherrilyn and Donald Martin
Panagratios Papacosta
Amy Papalexandrou
(Casler Foundation)
R. Thomas Schaub
Danielle Parks Memorial Fund
Catherine Deans-Barrett
Nicolas Herrmann
Amy Papalexandrou
(Casler Foundation)
Richard Parker
Mary Constance Parks
Michael and Linda Parks
(Ayco Charitable Foundation)
O’Donovan Fellowship Fund
Elaina Breen
Catherine Deans-Barrett
Amy Papalexandrou
(Casler Foundation)
Swiny Fellowship Fund
Catherine Deans-Barrett
Ioanna Kakoulli
Amy Papalexandrou
(Casler Foundation)
Helena Wylde Swiny
Stuart Swiny
Gifts in Memory of
Rev. Dr. E Bradford Davis
Raymond Ewing
Gifts in Memory of
Robert J. Wozniak
Camile Wozniak
Lisa Wozniak
Farida Wozniak
Robert J. Wozniak Jr.
and Camille L. Bowman
In-Kind
Semitic Museum
Harvard University
Nancy Serwint
Book Contributions
ASOR
Charalambos Bakirtzis
Bank of Cyprus Cultural
Foundation
Annemarie Weyl Carr
Zuzana Chovanec
Peter Cosyns
Department of Antiquities
of Cyprus
Department of History and
Archaeology
University of Cyprus
Kevin Fisher
Michael Given
Harry G. Harris
Lynn Jones
Vassos Karageorghis
Young Richard Kim
A. Bernard Knapp
Marvin W. Kushnet
Sturt Manning
Rania Michael
Demetrios Michaelides
Ministry of Education
and Culture –
Cultural Services, Cyprus
—CAARI NEWS—9
O’Donovan Fellowship: The Rosette Motif in Ancient Cypriot Art
Cheryl Hart
CAARI’s Anita Cecil O’Donovan Fellowship in 2014–2015
enabled me to carry out my research on the rosette motif in Cypriot
art. Using the concept of “International Style,” I studied the
iconography of the rosette motif in ancient Cyprus and its parallels in
the wider Aegean and Near East. I also sought to identify particular
regional forms of the rosette motif across the island and to determine
its chronological range on Cyprus. Through detailed analysis of this
specific iconography, I investigated the role of Cyprus in the Bronze
and Iron Age exchange networks of the wider Eastern Mediterranean
world.
In Nicosia I spent ten days in the storerooms of the Cyprus
Museum where I had hands-on access to a large number of artifacts.
Handling the primary material gave me a greater understanding of
rosette motifs than I could have gotten from only examining catalogue
photographs or objects in museum vitrines. My work came to the
attention of Giorgos Georgiou of the Department of Antiquities who
discussed with me my work and kindly gave me several offprints. I also had the opporunity to talk with Eftychia Zachariou
at the Cyprus Museum, and with Maria Iacovou at the Archaeological Research Unit (ARU) of the University of Cyprus.
Both made useful suggestions which contributed considerably to my research.
In the Larnaca District Museum I worked on material from Kalavasos Ayios Dhimitrios by kind permission of Alison
South. She and I had several meetings at CAARI during my stay, and she was extremely helpful, allowing me the use of
unpublished artifact photographs and discussing with me finds bearing rosettes from her excavations.
I visited other district museums and private collections as well as relevant archaeological sites, all of which added
to the growing corpus of evidence in my research database. I also made extensive use of the libraries at CAARI, at the ARU
and at the Cyprus Museum. Since the material was so voluminous, I extended my stay at CAARI to collect more primary
data and more contextual information about the relevant artifactual material.
At CAARI I had opportunities to discuss aspects of my research with others. Lindy Crewe, Nancy Serwint
and Bernard Knapp all gave me positive and useful comments on my work. I also had productive discussions with
CAARI Director Andrew McCarthy who raised some helpful points for me to consider as my research progresses. Most
importantly, he brought to my attention a rather unusual rosette of Chalcolithic date found at Souskiou Vathrykakos. I
contacted the site’s excavators, Eddie Peltenburg and Diane Bolger, and they kindly gave me prepublication information
and images of this rosette.
The highlight, however, of CAARI’s facilities is the library. It holds a vast range of specialist Cypriot material, much
of which is difficult if not impossible to find outside of Cyprus. The study facilities are also excellent, and I look forward to
returning when the expansion project is complete.
Cheryl Hart is Ph.D. candidate in the School of Archaeology, History and Anthropology at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David
in Lampeter.
10—CAARI NEWS—
Danielle Parks Memorial Fellowship: Birds in Archaic
Alicia Dissinger
Cypriot Sculpture The Danielle Parks Memorial Fellowship at CAARI permitted me to enlarge and improve my catalogue of the
representations of birds in Archaic Cypriot sculpture through a combination of visits to museums and intensive research
in the CAARI library.
At CAARI, I took advantage of the Institute’s wonderful resources, especially the library, where I spent much
of my time. I began by combing through excavation reports from major sites on Cyprus, such as Amathus, Idalion,
Kition, Kourion, and Salamis, looking for references to or images of bird sculptures to add to my catalogue. Sculptures of
birds have been found at each of these sites, either as separate objects or as parts of larger sculptural compositions. The
excavation reports led me in turn to other publications containing similar references or images.
At the Cyprus Museum I examined decorated pottery and sculpture and photographed these objects from
multiple angles. I also visited the Limassol District Archaeological Museum, which had been closed during my previous
visit to Cyprus. In Limassol I was able to see in person pottery and sculpture from Amathus which I had previously
known only from publications. As in Nicosia I studied and photographed them from every angle. These museum visits
enabled me to make first-hand observations, letting me see details not visible in published images and revealing to me
decorative intricacies and patterns of wear unnoted in published descriptions.
I am able to draw some preliminary conclusions about depictions of birds in sculpture on Cyprus. For instance,
one thing I had not previously observed and which others do not mention, is that the painting and markings on terracotta
birds have similar—sometimes the same—markings as birds painted on Cypro-Archaic pottery. This suggests that
representations of birds are similar across different media and may even have been made in the same workshops. I now
have good color photographs of some of the objects in the study, detailed notes on the objects from personal observations,
and an expanded bibliography for my dissertation. My catalogue of Cypro-Archaic sculpted avian images is well
underway, along with my ongoing research on images of birds in antiquity on Cyprus, thanks to the support from the
Danielle Parks Memorial Fellowship and from the staff at CAARI.
Alicia Dissinger is a doctoral student at the University of Virginia and is currently the Junior Fulbright Fellow at CAARI.
Recently Published
CAARI Conferences
Cyprus and the Balance of Empires:
Art and Archaeology from Justinian I to
the Coeur de Lion. Edited by Charles
Anthony Stewart, Thomas W. Davis
and Annemarie Weyl Carr. American
Schools of Oriental Research.
Archaeological Report Series, 20;
CAARI Monograph Series, 5
(Boston, 2014).
J.R.B. Stewart: An Archaeological
Legacy. Edited by A. Bernard
Knapp, Jennifer M. Webb & Andrew
McCarthy. Studies in Mediterranean
Archaeology Monographs, 139
(Uppsala, 2013).
—CAARI NEWS—11
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