More than fifty years after the earthquake of 365 destroyed Kourion, the seat of the Roman administration of Cyprus, a Christian basilica was built upon the remains of its pagan predecessor. This basilica became the center of a large complex that included a baptistery, atrium, and numerous other structures and buildings. Replete with mosaics and revetment, the Christian basilica was the center of the ecclesiastical administration of Cyprus until its destruction in the late seventh century. In this long-awaited report, A. H. S. Megaw and colleagues present in full the results of excavations from the 1930s, 1950s, and 1970s. In addition to the stratigraphic history of the complex, there are reports on the mosaics, revetment, sculpture, coins, inscriptions, glass, pottery, lamps, and small finds.
Author(s): A. H. S. Megaw (editor)
Series: Dumbarton Oaks Studies 38
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection
Year: 2007
Language: English
Pages: 598
City: Washington, D.C.
Tags: Archaeology; Cyprus; Kourion; Late Roman; Christianity
Map of Cyprus vi
List ofAbbreviations vii
Publisher’s Preface xvii
Foreword, A. H. S. Megaw xix
Introduction, A. H. S. Megaw xxi
Part I
The Excavated Remains o f the Precinct
1 The Basilica, A. H. S. Megaw 3
2 The Baptistery, A. H. S. Megaw 107
3 The West End, A. H. S. Megaw 119
4 Discussion: Architecture, Liturgy, and Chronology, A. H. S. Megaw 157
PART II
Remains of Interior Decoration
5 Architectural Sculpture and Revetment, Geoffrey House and A. H. S. Megaw 179
6 The Champleve Revetments, Susan Boyd 235
Appendix. Champleve Finds by Country and Site, Second to Late Seventh Century 297
7 Ecclesiastical Furniture and Equipment, Rowena Loverance 321
Appendix. Altar Table and Supports from the Sarayia Site 332
PART III
The Earlier Remains
8 The Structural Remains, A. H. S. Megam 345
9 A Mosaic Floor under the Diakonikon, Christine Kondoleon 351
10 Remains of Three Marble Entablatures, Geoffrey House 361
PART IV
Miscellaneous Finds
11 The Inscriptions, Ino Michaelidou-Nicolaou 367
12 The Coins
Hellenistic and Early Roman, Ino Michaelidou-Nicolaou 393
Late Roman and Early Byzantine Coins, Michael F. Hendy 400
Islamic, Helen W. Brown 422
A Small Hoard from Circa 1374, D. M. Metcalf 424
13 A Gold Ingot, Kenneth S. Painter 427
14 Pottery, John Hayes 435
15 Clay Lamps, John Hayes 477
16 Glass, Susan H. Young 485
17 Small Finds, Archibald Dunn 527
Appendix. Lead Seal of Damianos, Archbishop of Cyprus 539
18 Utensils, Rowena Loverance 549
19 Roof Tiles, A. H. S. Megaw 553
Conclusions, A. H. S. Megaw 555
Index 563
