Links to open access monographs and other volumes that are
relevant to the study of Cypriot archaeology, especially sculpture. Of
special interest are the nineteenth-century antiquarian accounts
(Sakellarios, Doell, Cesnola, Colonna-Ceccaldi, Lang, etc), as well as
important, learned work from the turn of the century by Myres and
Ohnefalsch-Richter. Several more recent volumes are also included in
cases where online or open-access is available. Volumes are listed in
order of their date of publication (apologies in advance for the forced scroll/browse).
Open Access Journals for Cypriot Archaeology
Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre
Bulletin de correspondance hellénique
Initiated in 1959 by Dr. Vassos Karageorghis, the Chronique des
fouilles et découvertes archéologiques à Chypre of the Bulletin de
correspondance hellénique remains one of the most significant
contributions to archaeological research in Cyprus. Designed to offer a
comprehensive, annual report of archaeological activity on the island,
the Chronique des fouilles, provides an archive of data essential for
research. Full-text and searchable (!) online/pdf versions are now
available via Persée, a site sponsored by the French Ministry of State
for Higher Education and Research designed to offer digital publication
of scientific journals in the field of the humanities. The BCH
is among the journals catalogued (as well as Syria, Paléorient, and the
Comptes-rendus des séances de l’Académie des Inscriptions et
Belles-Lettres). A full listing, year by year, from 1959-2005, may be
found by following the link above. The BCH contains exacation
reports and synthetic studies related to Cypriot archaeology – and the
full series (1877 until 2014) is available open access HERE.
Cahiers du Centre d’Études Chypriotes
Full-text and searchable (!) online/pdf. Dedicated to the study of ancient Cyprus, the CCEC is arguably one of the most important journals for the study of Cypriot archaeology, history, language, etc. Published by the Centre d’Études Chypriotes. Open access courtesy of Persée.
Monographs, Synthetic Studies, Excavations (+ Antiquarian studies), Catalogues
Ta Kypriaka: ētoi, Pragmateia peri geōgraphias, archaiologias, statistikēs
A. A . Sakellarios (Athens, 1855)
An incredibly learned and far-ranging account of Cyprus, which touches
on language, archaeology, local customs, topography etc. Among his many
contributions, Sakellarios was the first person to associate the ancient
toponym ‘Golgoi’ with the archaeological remains north and east of
modern Athienou. Searchable, online version. Full .pdf can also be
downloaded here. Other volumes/editions are also available. Courtesy of Archive.org.
Die Sammlung Cesnola
J. Doell (St. Petersburg, 1873)
In 1873, J. Doell published an inventory of the Cesnola collection of
Cypriot antiquities on behalf of the Hermitage Museum which was
considering purchasing the collection. The plates from this volume are
reproduced here. For the entire searchable volume and downloadable .pdf
(courtesy of Archive.org), go here.
The importance of this work cannot be overestimated since it represents
a contemporary account of the collection, before many of the
controversial restorations that occurred after the collection arrived at
the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Cyprus: Its Ancient Cities, Tombs, and Temples
L. Palma di Cesnola (New York, 1878)
Full-text (on-line) or (downloadable .pdf)
of Cesnola’s principal narrative of late nineteenth century excavations
on Cyprus, including the account of his discoveries of limestone
sculptures from sanctuaries in the region of Athienou/Golgoi. The bulk
of Cesnola’s collection made its way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
(New York) forming the nucleus of that museum’s collection when it
opened in 1880. Cesnola served as the Met’s first director. See below
for links to the Met’s www site on the Cesnola collection, as well as
the on-line catalogue of Cesnola artifacts now housed in the Semitic
Museum (Harvard). Courtesy of Archive.org & Google Books.
Narrative of Excavations in a Temple at Dali (Idalium) in Cyprus
R. H. Lang and R. S. Poole (Trans. Royal Society of Literature, UK vol. no. 11, 1878)
Begins on page 30. Primary account of the nineteenth century excavations
at Idalion by Robert Hamilton Lang. Includes description of work, as
well as discussion of the artifacts recovered by R. S. Poole (see
especially, pp. 54-63, where Poole outlines various stylistic influences
in Cypriote sculpture). Searchable, online version. Full .pdf can also
be downloaded here. Courtesy of Archive.org.
Monuments antiques de Chypre, de Syrie et d’Égypte
G. Colonna-Ceccaldi (Paris, 1882)
An important account of early explorations in Cyprus. Most
significantly, Colonna-Ceccaldi, the French consult to Cyprus, provides a
contemporary account of the discoveries of L. Palma di Cesnola at the
the site of Golgoi (near modern Athienou), which brought to light a
large cache of limestone sculptures (now in the Met, NYC). Searchable,
online version. Full .pdf can also be downloaded here. Courtesy of Archive.org.
Salaminia (Cyprus): The Histories, Treasures, and Antiquities of Salamis in the Island of Cyprus 2nd ed.
Alexander Palma di Cesnola (London, 1884)
Full-text and searchable (on-line)
copy of Alexander Cesnola’s (Luigi’s brother) publication of
investigations at Salamis. Downloadable .pdf also available. Courtesy of
Archive.org.
History of art in Phoenicia and its dependencies (Vol. 2)
G. Perrot and C. Chipiez (London, 1885)
A classic volume dealing with Cypriot sculpture, offering an important
look at nineteenth-century views on the style and overall character of
Cypriot art. Searchable, online version. Full .pdf can also be
downloaded here. Courtesy of Archive.org.
A Descriptive Atlas of the Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
L. Palma di Cesnola (1885-1902)
Multi-volume, monumental publication of the Cesnola Collection upon their arrival at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (more here).
Most comprehensive, illustrated publication of the collection prior to
various dispersals (e.g., 1920s Anderson Gallery sales). Courtesy of
Hathi Trust.
Naukratis. Part II. 1885-6
E. A. Gardner and F. Ll. Griffith (London, 1888)
Excavation report on Naukratis, which includes the important discovery
of Cypriot-style stone statuettes in the so-called “Temple and Temenos
of Aphrodite”. Chapter VI is devoted to the statuettes. Searchable,
online version. Full .pdf can also be downloaded here. Courtesy of Archive.org and Google Books.
Kypros, the Bible and Homer : oriental civilization, art and religion in ancient times
M. Ohnefalsch-Richter (London, 1893)
Chronicle of Ohnefalsch-Richter’s excavations on Cyprus. Includes
catalogue of sanctuaries identified by O-R. as well as illustrations of
finds. The volume is fundamental for research in Cypriote limestone
sculpture, as well as Cypriote religion. Searchable, online version.
Full .pdf can also be downloaded. Courtesy of Archive.org.
A Catalogue of the Cyprus Museum with a Chronicle of Excavations Undertaken Since the British Occupation
J. L. Myres and M. Ohnefalsch-Richter (Oxford, 1899)
Represents an important source for the collections of the Cyprus Museum.
Chronicle of excavations also includes information on excavated
sanctuaries. The catalogue is the result of a complete reorganization of
the museum by Myres and Ohnefalsch-Richter. Searchable, online version.
Full .pdf can also be downloaded here. Courtesy of Archive.org.
Handbook of the Cesnola collection of antiquities from Cyprus
J. L. Myres (New York, 1914)
Fundamental, early publication of the extensive holdings of Cypriote
antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The bulk of
the collection was purchased from Cesnola, including an impressive
corpus of limestone sculptures. Includes significant comparative
research and is essential for the study of Cypriote sculpture.
Searchable, online version. Full .pdf can also be downloaded here. Courtesy of Archive.org.
See also:
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Handbook No. 3. Sculptures of the Cesnola Collection of Cypriote Antiquities (New York, 1880)
An early museum guide to the Cesnola sculptures at the Met,
originally displayed in the “East Entrance Hall and North Aisle”.
Written by Mr. A. Duncan Savage.
Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities of the British Museum I.2: Cypriote and Etruscan
F. N. Pryce (London, 1931)
Publication of the impressive collection of Cypriot limestone sculpture
in the British Museum. Superseded by later studies (esp. Gaber-Saletan
and Senff), it is still a valuable resource. Most of the statues came
from excavations in/around the Iron age polity of Idalion. excavated by
R. H. Lang (see above for his account).
The Swedish Cyprus Expedition: Finds and Results of the Excavations in Cyprus, 1927-1931 (see below for links)
E. Gjerstad, A. Westolm, J. Lindros, and Erik Sjöqvist (Stockholm, 1934-1978)
Multi-volume publication of the results of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition (SCE) between 1927-1931. The publication of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition revolutionized
our understanding in each of the phases of Cypriot history from
prehistoric through Roman times and may be viewed as the foundation of
all later studies in Cypriot archaeology, even if necessary and expected
revisions have inevitably been introduced. The SCE brought a
sophisticated, scientifically-based archaeological approach to the
island that paid dividends in creating relative, stratigraphic sequences
at many sites. The first three volumes served as comprehensive field
reports; following these reports, a fourth volume was published in six
parts between 1948 and 1972 which served as an integrated and
synthesized discussion of the mass of information collected in the
previous years of excavations. Unfortunately, the complete SCE is not
found online and complete hard-copy editions are rare, even for major
research libraries.
The following vols area available online:
SCE Volume 1 (Text only, Plates missing)
SCE Volume 2 (Text only, Plates missing)
SCE Volume 3 (Text only, Plates missing)
SCE Volume 4.2: The Cypro-Geometric, Cypro-Archaic, and Cypro-Classical Periods (Stockholm, 1948)
Ancient Cyprus: Its Art And Archaeology
S. Casson (1937)
Dated survey of Cypriot archaeology from Prehistory through the Iron
age, with special interest paid to Cypriot sculpture. Casson was
especially interested in sussing out what he saw as a particularly
“Cypriot” style (especially in comparison to Greek art) and the impact
of foreign models.
The Cults of the Ancient Greek Cypriots
C. G. Bennett (UPenn diss, 1980)
Study of Cypriot religion from the perspective of perceived Greek
artistic and religious influence on the island.
Discussions/interpretations are somewhat dated and, at times, overly
deterministic, but Bennett managed to pull together an impressive data
set of images and inscriptions that is still quite useful today.
Amathonte II. Testimonia 2 : Les sculptures découvertes avant 1975
A. Hermary (Paris, 1981)
Publication of limestone sculptures discovered at Amathous, with a
contribution by Veronica Tatton-Brown on the Amathous Sarcophagus.
Courtesy of École Française d’Athènes.
Ancient Cyprus
A. C. Brown and H. Catling (Oxford, 1986)
Now out-of-print, the text of this important handbook to the Cypriot
collections of the Ashmolean is now available on the museum’s web site.
Includes a useful survey of Cypriot material culture.
Footprints in Cyprus: An Illustrated History. Rev. ed.
D. Hunt et al. (London, 1990)
A woefully outdated, but to-date not replicated, survey of
ancient-modern Cyprus written by a collection of scholars with expertise
in each area. Despite its shortcomings and traditional approach
(especially for the archaeological chapters), it still remains a useful
introduction to the diversity and complexity of the island’s material
culture and history.
Archaische Kalksteinplastik Zypern
D. G. Mylonas (Mannheim, 1998)
Full-text (.pdf) of Dimitris G. Mylonas’s Mannheim dissertation on the
subject of Cypriot limestone sculpture (ISBN: 3-932178-09-2).
Amathonte V. Les figurines en terre cuite archaïques et classiques. Les sculptures en pierre
A. Hermary (Athens, 2000)
Publication of limestone sculptures excavated after 1975, serves as
supplemental to Vol 2.2 (but also includes terracotta sculptures.
Courtesy of École Française d’Athènes.
Note: All excavation volumes from the French at Amathous are available via Persée.
Ancient Art from Cyprus: The Cesnola Collection in The Metropolitan Museum of Art
V. Karageorghis, in collaboration with J. R. Mertens and M. Rose (New York, 2000)
From the blurb: This splendid catalogue is published on the occasion of
the opening of the Museum’s four permanent galleries for ancient art
from Cyprus. It is also the first scholarly publication since 1914
devoted to the Cesnola Collection (which totals approximately six
thousand objects). The volume features some five hundred pieces from the
collection, illustrated in superb new color photography. Dating from
about 2500 B.C. to about A.D. 300, these works rank among the finest
examples of Cypriot art from the prehistoric, Geometric, Archaic,
Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman periods. Courtesy of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York.
Prolegomena to the Study of Cypriote Sculpture (Cahiers du Centre d’Etudes Chypriotes. Volume 31, 2001, 129-181).
Derek B. Counts
General survey (up to 2000) of Cypriot limestone sculpture with a focus
on history of scholarship, chronology and typology, as well as
interpretations.
Ancient Cypriote art in the Musée d’art et d’histoire, Geneva
V. Karageorghis and J. Chamay (Nicosia, 2004)
Catalogue of the Museum’s holdings in Cypriot art, which includes an
important collection of limestone sculptures. Although access to the
entire book is limited, the entries for stone sculpture are available here.
Classical
Sculpture: Catalogue of the Cypriot, Greek, and Roman Stone Sculpture
in the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and
Anthropology.
I. B. Romano (Philadelphia, 2006)
Catalogue of the Museum’s holdings in Classical sculpture, which
includes an important collection of Cypriot limestone sculptures.
Although access to the entire book is limited, the entries for Cypriot
sculpture are available here.
Ancient Cyprus: Cultures in Dialogue
D. Pilides and N. Papadimitriou (2012)
The exhibition ‘Ancient Cyprus: Culture in Dialogue’ was presented in
the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels from October 2012 until
February 2013. It presented an overview of the culture of Cyprus from
the earliest human settlement on the island to the end of Antiquity. The exhibition featured ca. 300 ancient objects from 13 museums in Cyprus, Belgium and the UK.
The Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art: Stone Sculpture. 1st Rev ed.
A. Hermary and J. R. Mertens (New York, 2015)
Definitive, modern publication of the 635 stone objects within the Met’s Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art. From my review (here):
Hermary and Mertens have produced the new standard handbook for The
Met’s limestone sculpture, and, more generally, the catalog will hold an
important place in the developing history of Cypriot sculpture studies.
Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
The Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art: Terracottas. 1st Rev ed.
V. Karageorghis, G. S. Merker, and J. R. Mertens (New York, 2018)
From the blurb: This catalogue, which focuses on Cypriot terracottas,
was originally published in 2004 as a CD-ROM, and is now available in a
more accessible format. It contains nearly 500 works dating from between
about 2000 B.C. and the 2nd century A.D. from one of the most expansive
collections of Cypriot art in the world. Illustrations of each object
are accompanied by a detailed catalogue entry, including a brief
bibliography. In addition, fifteen commentaries make the catalogue a
perfect introduction to Cypriot terracottas and the colorful world of
ancient life and mythology. Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York.
Kyprios Character
Scientific articles written especially for Kyprios Character by
external collaborators pertaining to the history, archaeology and
numismatics of ancient Cyprus. Texts, available in Greek and in English,
are accompanied by their references, illustrations, a bibliography and a
digital location map. Specific topics linked below.
- Numismatics
- Archaeology
- Epigraphy
- Kingdoms- Kings
- Cyprus and the Others
- Cult and Religion
- Economy and Trade
- Collections of Cypriot Antiquities
- Research Projects
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