General

Slowly, after the last visits have departed, the last finds have been bagged in the middle of the night and the first excavators have already gone home, we have to think about saying goodbye. A farewell, not for long, and yet a hard one. Within the last four weeks many […]
Excavations in Ancient Idalion – Week 4 – Goodbye

With the fourth and for us last week the final spurt begins and probably the most stressful week of the campaign. The last pottery sherds are counted, the last terracottas weighed and the last limestones brushed. Nevertheless, the scientific exchange does not miss out, because in the last week […]
Excavations in Ancient Idalion – Week 4 – final spurt

Of course, an excavation is not only about the purely scientific aspect, although that is without question at the top of the list, but it is also very much about social interaction. People who are at very different points in their lives come together to live with each other in […]
Excavations in Ancient Idalion – Week 3 – social side

While on the one hand we had to say goodbye to two excavators from our team, on the other hand we were pleased to welcome our reinforcement from Sorrent to the team. This also brings into our midst a practice that is becoming more and more important and adapted to […]
Excavations in Ancient Idalion – Week 3 – Goodbye and ...

Besides an excessive amount of pottery and terracotta, our team also finds numerous limestone fragments. In our disco ball section (see previous post), the first ever inscription on a limestone base, not yet fully unraveled, was found, which caused great joy among us excavators. In the section with the architectural […]
Excavations in Ancient Idalion – Week 2 – The Finds

In rhythmic beat of the music, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, depending on who is currently wishing for music, our three cuts become deeper and deeper. While at one end of the cuts more and more limestone statuettes, terracotta fragments and a disco ball (an ominous and glittering stone) are found, […]
Excavations in Ancient Idalion – Week 2 – Rhythm

Between frequent petting of the cats around, we work diligently and energetically with pickaxe, shovel and trowel to remove the earth bit by bit. During the week, the surveyors from Limassol come to our aid and check our recovered points. After several limestone, pottery and terracotta finds, the team, in […]
Excavations in Ancient Idalion – Week 1 – Settling in

Since 2018 the Berlin Idalion Project (BIP) is undertaking archaeological field work at Idalion, trying to put the activities of Max Ohnefalsch-Richter (1850-1917) within the art of archaeological context. The Project is carried out with the kind authorization of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus and in cooperation with our Partners […]