Recycling Paphos

Throughout the modern town of Kato Paphos granite columns, marble blocks and intricately carved limestone elements can be seen at every archaeological site, historic monument and even lining the streets. Very few of these items have been found in their original position, but rather have been moved from building to building as the city changed over its 2000+ years. Some of these buildings may have been ripe for recycling as they had fallen into disuse or destroyed by a natural disaster, some were attempted to be repaired, using reused blocks or even lime mortar created from recycling marble into a new needed product. These recycling activities could be done at the individual or state level, as part of a consistent resource management plan or as a response to economic or cultural change. 
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The Recycling Paphos Research Project is a multiperiod archaeological study of architectural recycling and reuse across Nea Paphos, seeking to determine the practicalities and motivations for this ubiquitous practice across the ancient and modern city. This project is an adjunct to the Paphos Theatre Archaeological Project undertaken by Candace Richards, PhD candidate, University of Sydney.