Membra disiecta of historic information concerning the necropoleis of Kition

Abstract

This paper deals with historical information from the 19th century relating to various aspects of the necropoleis of ancient Kition. Although the diary entries of Lorenzo Warriner Pease from 1834 to 1839 are not specifically concerned with the study of ancient remains, they provide interesting information on the distribution of rock‑cut chamber tombs, particularly in the area of Sotiros and further west. During his visit to Cyprus in 1845, Ludwig Ross carried out a small excavation in essentially the same area. The two contributions therefore shed additional light on the extent and furnishings of these characteristic burials. A short passage from Paul Schröder’s travel diaries reports the discovery of a richly decorated sarcophagus in March 1870. As this object is a well-known specimen from the Cesnola collection, Schröder’s description is important because it allows a fairly accurate contextualisation of the sarcophagus. Finally, unpublished archive material by Max Ohnefalsch-Richter describing his excavations of three built chamber tombs offers the opportunity to reconsider the number and location of these elite burials.