Mysteria
Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour

Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour

Iron Age Phoenician (1050 BCE Amathus port) through Ptolemaic to Roman harbour 1st c. CE submerged 365 CE quake·Phoenician Greek Cypriot Amathus (Aphrodite temple) 800 BCE large vase Amathus 1.85 m Louvre·🇨🇾 Limassol District, Agios Tychonas, Amathus, 11 km SE Limassol, 70 m hill 1.5 km coast, seaport 4 km south harbour moles submerged, Cyprus

About

About Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour

Amathus Petit excav, vase 1.85 m 700 BCE.

Why it mattersKey Phoenician Greek Cypriot Amathus (Aphrodite temple) 800 BCE large vase Amathus 1.85 m Louvre port with stratified sequence and regional typology.

Open questions

Mysteries & theories

Mysteries

  1. 01Function of enclosure
  2. 02Astronomical alignment

Theories

  1. 01Seasonal gathering

Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.

History

How it came to be

Built
800 BCE city; harbour moles 1st c. CE 400 m
Period
Iron Age Phoenician (1050 BCE Amathus port) through Ptolemaic to Roman harbour 1st c. CE submerged 365 CE quake
Culture
Phoenician Greek Cypriot Amathus (Aphrodite temple) 800 BCE large vase Amathus 1.85 m Louvre
Purpose
Aphrodite's harbour with 400 m mole wall (365 quake submerged 2 m) and rock-cut royal tombs Agios Tychonas hill 30 m and Aphrodite temple 1050 BCE and 1.85 m vase of Amathus (largest Cypriot vase 700 BCE)
Rediscovered
Modern excavation 1909
Excavation
Excavated
  1. 1970 excavation

    Modern rediscovery and scientific excavation of Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour

  2. 800 BCE city; harbour moles 1st c. CE 400 m

    Initial construction / first occupation at Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour

  3. c. 1500 BCE major extension

    Major expansion / refurbishment at Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour

On the ground

Structures & features

34.7110° N · 33.1390° E · 70 m · 3 mapped features

  • Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour — Principal Structure

    structure

    structure at Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour — subsidiary complex

    34.7115° N · 33.1375° E
  • Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour — Northern Complex

    complex

    complex at Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour — hydraulic feature

    34.7109° N · 33.1383° E
  • Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour — Southern Rock Art

    rock art

    rock art at Amathus — Cypriot Seaport Rock-Cut Tomb Harbour — outlier feature

    34.7110° N · 33.1377° E

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