2017 Season Report
The Paphos Theatre Archaeological Project recently completed its 2017 excavation season at the World Heritage listed site of the Hellenistic-Roman period theatre at Kato Pafos and its surrounding environs. This is the eighteenth field season by the Australian archaeological mission, who have been working in the theatrical quarter since 1995.
The University of Sydney team, directed by Dr Craig Barker, undertook their excavations under the auspices of the Department of Antiquities between 8 October and 5 November 2017. The excavations are supported by the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens and the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney.
The site of the theatrical quarter of ancient Nea Pafos is located to the south of Fabrika hill in the north-eastern quarter of the ancient walled city. The theatre itself was shaped out of the bedrock of the hill and used for performances from the foundation of the ancient city, around 300 BC, until its final destruction by earthquake in the late fourth century AD. After this event much of the structure was robbed away and the stone reused elsewhere. The theatre was at its peak of activity during the reign of the Roman emperors Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius in the middle second century AD when the stage building and ceremonial entranceways were façaded in imported marble and adorned with sculptural and painted decorations.
The Australian excavations have also begun to reveal a complex urban layout around the theatre with a wide paved Roman road due south and a Roman nymphaeum, or water fountain, built to the south east of the theatre. “It is an exciting period in the project’s history”, says Barker, “as this work is adding considerably to our knowledge of the Roman urban environment of the ancient capital city of Cyprus”.
The Australian’s work in 2017 was concentrated on the south-eastern corner of the site, near the nymphaeum and eastern end of the theatre. Three trenches were opened by the team in 2017.
The University of Sydney team, directed by Dr Craig Barker, undertook their excavations under the auspices of the Department of Antiquities between 8 October and 5 November 2017. The excavations are supported by the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens and the Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney.
The site of the theatrical quarter of ancient Nea Pafos is located to the south of Fabrika hill in the north-eastern quarter of the ancient walled city. The theatre itself was shaped out of the bedrock of the hill and used for performances from the foundation of the ancient city, around 300 BC, until its final destruction by earthquake in the late fourth century AD. After this event much of the structure was robbed away and the stone reused elsewhere. The theatre was at its peak of activity during the reign of the Roman emperors Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius in the middle second century AD when the stage building and ceremonial entranceways were façaded in imported marble and adorned with sculptural and painted decorations.
The Australian excavations have also begun to reveal a complex urban layout around the theatre with a wide paved Roman road due south and a Roman nymphaeum, or water fountain, built to the south east of the theatre. “It is an exciting period in the project’s history”, says Barker, “as this work is adding considerably to our knowledge of the Roman urban environment of the ancient capital city of Cyprus”.
The Australian’s work in 2017 was concentrated on the south-eastern corner of the site, near the nymphaeum and eastern end of the theatre. Three trenches were opened by the team in 2017.
Trench 17A in the process of excavation (above), and the excavated basin in front of the nymphaeum.
Trench 17A was a large open trench over the road with the long term aim of clearing more of the surface of the paving stones. Although the trench was not completed it, the archaeological team did successfully define the complete front wall of the nymphaeum. The nymphaeum itself is over 20 metres long and 5 metres wide, and the masonry of the structure was considerable with the walls over a metre wide. The height of the front of the nymphaeum is now established and the top of the wall was obviously covered with a plaster surface. Carved into the top of one of the blocks was a gaming board for the game mancala, also known as scoops, which could have been used by workmen while building the nymphaeum. The nymphaeum was constructed in the earlier part of the second century AD and demonstrates Roman ability to control water and create artificial environments. A marble block and plaster-lined basin in front of the nymphaeum would have allowed travellers to refresh with water from the fountain.
A second trench investigated a wedge of soil between the rear of the nymphaeum and the foundations of the Antonine theatre expansion. Excavations revealed a series of bedrock cut channels that relate to the control of water supply to and from the theatre and the nymphaeum, and many fragments of a near intact Roman amphora which will be restored next season.
Trench 17C
The final trench was designed to expose the theatre’s Antonine phase exterior wall. Bedrock cuts indicate that the wall would have over 2.2 metres wide and constructed from massive blocks of stone; these retaining walls had to support seating embankments that were very high and constructed onto artificially created hills.
Foundation blocks and bedrock cuts in Trench 17B
This season for the first time, the team was joined by eight students of the University of New England (UNE), led by Dr Melanie Filios, to study the animal bones recovered during excavation. The Advanced Zooarchaeology students examined faunal remains recovered from the trenches excavated in previous seasons from the top of Fabrika hill to the rear of the seating.
In addition to the excavation the Australian team in 2017 completed considerable work on the study of finds from previous seasons, including the detailed analysis of hundreds of fragments of Crusader-era glazed sgrafitto ceramics that would have been produced at a kiln built over the remains of the ancient theatre which has yet to be located. A 3D Virtual Reality model of the ancient theatre has also been constructed which enables viewers to get an idea of the size and scale of the Antonine phase of the building’s history and an understanding of how much the landscape of the site has changed from antiquity to the modern world. This model will be available in a mobile app form in the near future.
In addition to the excavation the Australian team in 2017 completed considerable work on the study of finds from previous seasons, including the detailed analysis of hundreds of fragments of Crusader-era glazed sgrafitto ceramics that would have been produced at a kiln built over the remains of the ancient theatre which has yet to be located. A 3D Virtual Reality model of the ancient theatre has also been constructed which enables viewers to get an idea of the size and scale of the Antonine phase of the building’s history and an understanding of how much the landscape of the site has changed from antiquity to the modern world. This model will be available in a mobile app form in the near future.
Drone photograph of the theatre, road and nymphaeum, taken early November 2017