The Department of Antiquities is a
government department
Ministry or department (also less commonly used secretariat, office, or directorate) are designations used by first-level executive bodies in the machinery of governments that manage a specific sector of public administration." Энцикло ...
of the
Republic of Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
with responsibility for
archaeological research and
cultural heritage management. It was established in 1935 by the
British colonial government. The department is headed by the Director of the Department of Antiquities, next in line is the position of the Director of the
Cyprus Museum and following that, the Curator of Monuments. It has conducted excavations at
Khoirokoitia,
Kition,
Amathus
Amathus or Amathous ( grc, Ἀμαθοῦς) was an ancient city and one of the ancient royal cities of Cyprus until about 300 BC. Some of its impressive remains can be seen today on the southern coast in front of Agios Tychonas, about west o ...
,
Kourion
Kourion ( grc, Koύριov; la, Curium) was an important ancient Greek city-state on the southwestern coast of Cyprus. In the twelfth century BCE, after the collapse of the Mycenaean palaces, Greek settlers from Argos arrived on this site.
I ...
,
Paphos,
Salamis,
Enkomi and carried multiple rescue excavations all around the island. The Department publishes yearly the Report of the Department of Antiquities Cyprus (RDAC) and the Annual Report of the Department of Antiquities Cyprus (ARDAC).
In 1955 the Director
Peter Megaw established an Archaeological Survey Branch and appointed
Hector Catling
Hector William Catling, CBE, FSA (26 June 192415 February 2013) was a British archaeologist who served as director of the British School at Athens between 1971 and 1989.
Early life
Catling was born on 26 June 1924. He was educated at Bristol ...
as the head and
Kyriacos Nicolaou as an Assistant and a number of technicians. The Branch was discontinued in 1974.
The Department of Antiquities operates various archaeological sites such as
Idalion,
Kourion
Kourion ( grc, Koύριov; la, Curium) was an important ancient Greek city-state on the southwestern coast of Cyprus. In the twelfth century BCE, after the collapse of the Mycenaean palaces, Greek settlers from Argos arrived on this site.
I ...
,
Paphos Archaeological Park and museums like the
Cyprus Museum, archaeological district museums of Paphos, Limassol, Kition and smaller local museums like the
Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios Mansion.
Directors of the Department of Antiquities
*
John Robert Hilton (1934-1935)
*
Peter Megaw (1935-1960)
*
Porphyrios Dikaios
Porphyrios Dikaios (Greek: Πορφύριος Δίκαιος) FSA (16 August 190423 August 1971) was a Greek Cypriot archaeologist born in Nicosia.
He studied archaeology in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, in the British ...
(1960-1963)
*
Vassos Karageorghis (1963-1989)
*
Athanasios Papageorgiou (1989-1991)
*
Demos Christou (1991-1997)
* Sophocles Hadjisavvas
* Pavlos Flourentzos
* Maria Hadjicosti
* Marina Solomidou-Ieronymidou (current)
Curators of the Cyprus Museum
*
Menelaos Markides (1912-1931)
*
Porphyrios Dikaios
Porphyrios Dikaios (Greek: Πορφύριος Δίκαιος) FSA (16 August 190423 August 1971) was a Greek Cypriot archaeologist born in Nicosia.
He studied archaeology in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, in the British ...
(1931-1960)
*
Vassos Karageorghis (1960-1963)
*
Kyriakos Nicolaou (1964-1979)
* Despo Pilides (until 2021)
Assistant Curators of the Cyprus Museum
*
Porphyrios Dikaios
Porphyrios Dikaios (Greek: Πορφύριος Δίκαιος) FSA (16 August 190423 August 1971) was a Greek Cypriot archaeologist born in Nicosia.
He studied archaeology in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, in the British ...
(1929-1931)
*
Vassos Karageorghis (1952-1960)
*
Kyriakos Nicolaou (1961-1964)
Curators of Monuments
*
George H. Everett Jeffery
George H. Everett Jeffery, Society of Antiquaries of London, FSA (1855–1935) was the Curator of Ancient Monuments in Cyprus from 1903 until his death in 1935. He is known for his personal research and interest in the monuments of Cyprus.
Amon ...
*
Athanasios Papageorgiou (1962-1989)
*Giorgos Filotheou
* Giorgos Georgiou
Inspectors of Antiquities
*
Joan du Plat Taylor
*
Rupert Gunnis
Rupert Forbes Gunnis (11 March 1899 – 31 July 1965) was an English collector and historian of British sculpture. He is best known for his ''Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660–1851'', which "revolutionized the study of British sculpture, pr ...
Archaeological Survey Officers
*
Hector Catling
Hector William Catling, CBE, FSA (26 June 192415 February 2013) was a British archaeologist who served as director of the British School at Athens between 1971 and 1989.
Early life
Catling was born on 26 June 1924. He was educated at Bristol ...
(1955-1959)
*
Kyriakos Nicolaou
Publications
The Department publishes the ''Report of the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus'' (RDAC) as well as the ''Annual Report of the Director of the Department of Antiquities Cyprus'' (ARDAC). The ARDAC for the years 2006-2009 can b
accessed online
See also
*
Department of Antiquities
References
External links
Official website (English)Official website (Greek)
{{NEast-archaeology-stub
Ministries established in 1935
Cyprus, Antiquities, Department of
Archaeology of Cyprus