A lifetime with Cyprus archaeology
Former director of the Antiquities Department, Vassos Karageorghis has dedicated his working life to the study of the island’s ancient artefacts. Now retired, he still has time to dedicate to the field
On my way to interview an internationally-renowned archaeologist, my thoughts immediately turned to Indiana Jones. The man who welcomed me could not have been more different though. Rather than sporting the fictional hero’s trademark bullwhip, fedora and leather jacket, Vassos Karageorghis was dressed impeccably in a suit as he welcomed me into his office, adorned with beautiful objects accumulated during his many decades working in the field of archaeology.
No one who has had any dealings with Cypriot archaeology over the last 50 years can possibly have missed hearing of or meeting Karageorghis. He is known for his work in the field and has shown a passion for the conservation and promotion of Greek cultural heritage wherever it manifests itself.
Born in the village of Trikomo, in the north east of Cyprus, the 78-year-old told seven: “From a young age, I was always interested in the past and, in particular, ancient Greece and its history.”
Following up his interest, Karageorghis went on to study the classics in Athens and London before working for the Cyprus Museum and then joining the Department of Antiquities, where he worked for 37 years, rising to the role of Director in 1963.
“My predecessor had already established Cyprus as an important place in the archaeology of the Mediterranean, especially during the prehistoric period,” he said.
Last month Karageorghis released a book, titled, A Lifetime in the Archaeology of Cyprus. It spans the author’s career, from his early days in his village to his life after his two retirements, namely in 1989 from the Department of Antiquities, and 1996 from the University of Cyprus, down to the present day.
It chronicles his work in the Department of Antiquities, where he was Director for 26 years and also features the events of 1974 and their aftermath, as well as his famous excavations. His memoirs give an indirect description of the growth of modern Cypriot archaeology and at the same time offer an invaluable, first-hand insight into the British rule seen through the eyes of a local Cypriot. Almost everyone who has ever worked with Cypriot archaeology is mentioned in the book.
Throughout his career, Karageorghis has managed to introduce and uphold an open and welcoming attitude towards those wishing to excavate in Cyprus. The resulting excavations, international conferences and publications renewed Cypriot archaeology in a multitude of directions.
Thanks to him, Cypriot archaeology has become an international academic discipline in its own right, with the potential to offer new perspectives on ancient Mediterranean and European cultural history.
As a result of his lifetime’s work, he has, “become conscious of the universal character of Greek civilisation and of the importance of saving and promoting the memory of Greek cultural monuments of all kinds throughout the world.”
In such a long career on the island, there must have been some highlights. “Every discovery is important and as far as I’m concerned, I cannot single out any particular one made during nearly four decades of excavations that I can put aside as the most important. There are however, certain discoveries, which gave me particular pleasure and excitement, for example the discovery of “royal tombs” at the necropolis at Salamis and also the discovery of an inscribed spit (used for roasting meat) in a tomb at Palaepaphos, the modern village of Kouklia, which is engraved with a Greek name in the Cypriot syllabary. This constituted the earliest evidence of the use of the Greek language in Cyprus, in the 11th century BC.”
Perhaps more than anything, Karageorghis will be remembered for his work at Salamis and Kition.
At Salamis, now in the occupied north, buildings of a monumental character were brought to life, including a gymnasium and theatre, whose auditorium was one of the largest in the eastern Mediterranean.
“In both these buildings, a large number of marble statues have been brought to life as well as inscriptions which enriched the Museum of Famagusta and the Cyprus Museum,” he said. “This threw light on the artistic preferences of Cypriots during the Roman period. We only scratched the surface though, uncovering edifices of Roman and early Christian periods. Had we had the time, I’m sure we would have been able to trace the history of the city back to its origins in the 10th or 11th century BC, as well as to the Classical and Hellenistic periods. But when the Turkish invasion happened, Salamis was occupied and has remained inaccessible.”
At Kition, the present-day Larnaca, “we were able to push the history of this ancient city several centuries back to the 13th and 14th centuries BC. Before our excavations, Kition was considered to be a Phoenician colony from the 8th century BC, whereas now we know that already in the late Bronze Age there was a harbour town, surrounded by a defensive wall, and it had magnificent public buildings and workshops for the smelting of copper.”
Such a long career has also seen a sea change in the way archaeology is approached. Techniques “have changed enormously,” Karageorghis said. “The essential technique when excavating, of observing various chronological layers in the history of a site remains the same, however. Archaeologists nowadays have great assistance from applied sciences, for instance in the dating of archaeological sites and are also now better able to preserve artefacts than they could before.”
One thing has not changed though and that is the long and painstaking process of the study of the results of excavations and the material uncovered for publication. “I have been very conscious of this obligation throughout my career and can proudly say that I have published all the findings from all my excavations, something which not many of my colleagues can claim.
“Like in all other disciplines, one must be dedicated to what one is doing and must never consider archaeology as a job. There are no office hours to follow, nor any limits to study.” He said that when his children were young, they were always complaining that he imposed silence at home in order to necessitate study until the late hours.
“An archaeologist has to be prepared to change his mind and follow new evidence from others’ research. This is especially important in the case of Cyprus in view of continuous contacts between our island and the Mediterranean and beyond. Cyprus has contacts with countries from the Atlantic coast of Spain to the Middle East and from Asia Minor to Egypt. A Cypriot archaeologist must be alert and watch what is going on in these regions and this of course demands personal visits.”
He also explained that the archaeology of the island spans many millennia, from the 10th millennium BC, therefore it is impossible for one person to grasp the whole of this long history.
When asked if he believes there are discoveries on the island that have not yet been made, he said that there is room for excavations for many generations of archaeologists to come. “There are many aspects of archaeology which are still obscure and I can mention the decipherment of the prehistoric script of Cyprus used during the late Bronze Age and the intricate problem of the Hellenisation of Cyprus at this time to illustrate the point.”
He described as “unfortunate” that a large part of Cyprus is now occupied and thus inaccessible for legal archaeological research.
“Excavations at Salamis, Morphou and other sites in the occupied areas will certainly add new pages to the archaeology of the island. Monuments and sites in the north should be looked after, but they are now abandoned and suffer from weather
ing and intentional vandalism. I have in mind wall paintings and wall mosaics in churches.”
He added that we do not know what happened to the rich collections of museums, such as the one in Famagusta. “We know however that registered archaeological collections have been looted. War has been an enemy to cultural heritage not only in Cyprus, but also in other lands, most recently in Iraq. It is unfortunate that the international community and organisations such as UNESCO have not been able to intervene effectively and I look forward to the day when there will be peace on the island and research can be resumed uninterrupted throughout the whole of Cyprus. The cultural heritage of our country belongs to the whole world and it is there to be enjoyed by everybody. It is the duty of the legal authorities to preserve and present it.”
Are young people today interested in archaeology? “There is great interest in the archaeology of Cyprus today not only among scholars from around the world, but also among young Cypriots,” he said. “There are dozens of Cypriots who have studied abroad and obtained PhDs in the subject, as well as even more who have studied at the University of Cyprus.”
He added that it is regrettable that there are not enough jobs for these young scholars. “The University, along with the Antiquities Department, should be given a helping hand by the state to create more posts in order to encourage Cypriots to undertake research on their country’s past, so as not to only depend on what is being done by foreign scholars.”
Since 1990, Karageorghis has been associated with the Leventis Foundation, a philanthropic organisation supporting a wide range of activities and events in the cultural and historical fields of Cyprus, of which he is now a director. “This gives me the possibility to continue my archaeological research and in fact, I am now more engaged in research than at any other time before. Though I do not carry out excavations, I have at my disposal an enormous amount of material to study and publish.
“Next year, if I am still alive, I hope to organise, in collaboration with other institutions, an international conference on relations between Cyprus and the Eastern Aegean. I take an active part in archaeological conferences abroad and write books and articles on various aspects of the archaeology of Cyprus. There is therefore never a dull moment, even for an old scholar like me.”
l A Lifetime in the Archaeology of Cyprus by Vassos Karageorghis (£**.**) is available from Moufflon bookshops
THE PLACES YOU SHOULD REALLY SEE
Salamis is one, especially in spring, when the mimosas are in blossom and there are poppies and other wild flowers in the meadows all along the beach. Salamis has the most monumental edifices in Cyprus, namely the Gymnasium and the Theatre.
Paphos is also of great interest: the colourful mosaics of the Roman villas are among the best in the world and it is easy for everybody to identify their mythological representations, even with a basic knowledge of Greek mythology. The Tombs of the Kings are also very imposing. The site is particularly pleasant now, with all the wild flowers in blossom, particularly the cyclamen.
Palaepaphos (the modern village of Kouklia), is also of great interest. The visitor may first go to the site of the temple of Aphrodite, renowned in antiquity, with its megalithic constructions which date back to the Late Bronze Age. The small local museum in the Medieval Manor houses a small but exceptionally interesting collection of artefacts, dating from the Neolithic down to the medieaval period.
