Excavations by the Australian Archaeological Mission to Cyprus, completed
December 2011
A statement by the Ministry of Communications and Works, Department of Antiquities, of Cyprus, announced the completion of the 14th season of archaeological investigations of the precinct of the ancient Hellenistic-Roman theatre of Nea Pafos.
The excavations, which took place between the 1st and 28th October 2011, were conducted by the University of Sydney under the direction of Dr Craig Barker, Dr Smadar Gabrieli and Emeritus Professor Richard Green for the University of Sydney.
In 2011, a team of 20 Australian archaeologists and students worked in the precinct of the ancient theatre of Nea Pafos, the World Heritage listed capital city of Cyprus in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.
Over the past sixteen years the Australian Mission has uncovered evidence of a theatre, which was a significant centre of culture and performance for the city and surrounding district.
The theatre was used for over six and a half centuries between its construction at the time of the foundation of the city of Nea Pafos around 300 BC, and its destruction as the result of earth quakes in the late fourth century AD.
