I.—The Excavations at Vounous-Bellapais in Cyprus, 1931–2

Abstract

Early in 1931 the District Police at Kyrenia sent to the Cyprus Museum a number of Red Polished vases collected on the site of Vounous, 1½ miles approximately east of the villages of Bellapais and Kazaphani. Soon afterwards I was able to proceed to the site and saw that extensive looting was being carried out. On my return to Nicosia I pointed out to the authorities of the Museum the necessity of saving the site which appeared to be promising. Although the funds available were very small I was authorized by the Museum Committee to start excavation on their behalf on a small scale. The first few tombs proved to be important, a fact which rendered the necessity of excavating the site systematically more urgent. Through donations collected by Mr. R. Gunnis, then A.D.C. to the Governor and Member of the Museum Committee, and myself our operations lasted for about three weeks. During this period tombs 1-20 were cleared. News was, however, coming regularly that the villagers had resumed looting, and in June of the same year I was able to spend about a fortnight excavating another 11 tombs and thus reached the figure of 31. The following year, thanks to a generous donation made by Mr. J. C. Gaffiero, of Nicosia, I was able to spend, in May, a third season and clear another group of 17 tombs, thus reaching the total figure of 48 tombs.