I was told before coming to Cyprus that it would be hot out. I knew it would be hot out. I’ve been in hot places before. Well… turns out it really is warm here. So warm that all you really want to do is crawl into the deepest, darkest hole you can find, and take a nap. However, Cyprus is a wonderland of history, material culture, and geology. One might think that the exploration urge and the crawling-into-a-deep-dark-hole urge go perfectly hand-in-hand for archaeologists in Cyprus. Tragically, excavation is a rather time-consuming and meticulous process, and the trenches don’t get deep and dark (or even shaded) for a good long while. Luckily, Cyprus has a wealth of archaeological parks that have already been excavated, ready for exploration by overheated yet indefatigable young archaeologists.
Chris’ Juice Bar, a small shop just across from our hotel in Larnaca, is an essential part of the Vigla Archaeological Field School. And for good reason: after a long, hot day on site, Chris can serve up a smoothie that will satisfy like nothing else. Often, as dozens of thirsty students and professors pour out of vans and towards the juice bar, a significant line forms. When waiting in this line, one’s attention is drawn to a large sign placed just outside of the store. It is a list of twenty items, all of which purport to be the remarkable benefits of just one fruit among the dozens Chris can provide–pomegranate. A number of these claims, “slows down aging,” “protects DNA,” and “natural Viagra” to name a few, seem dubious. On the whole, the list seems exaggerated, but mostly rooted in science. However, I am not interested in the truth. I want to know, what is this sign saying? How does it think I should live my life? What I should value? I should drink Chris’ pomegranate juice because it will bring upon me these myriad blessings, but why are these the things I should value?
The list of “beneficial characteristics” is as follows:
We’ve all been there. The family in the villa next to you just commissioned a beautiful, life-sized marble statue for the local temple, and now they get to put their name all over it. Just like that, everyone thinks they are so great and forgets that their patriarch almost received enough votes to be ostracized last month. Wouldn’t it be great to get your own marble deity to show them who the good citizens really are? But between the price of decent marble these days, finding a good craftsman, not to mention the months it’ll take to finish the statue, the cost is just too high.
Well, you may just be in luck. That’s right, your votive statue need not be painstakingly carved out of rock when it could be made out of ever-abundant clay. Terracotta statues and figurines take a fraction of the time to make and are crafted from locally sourced materials. Even better, a single craftsman can produce hundreds of stylish pieces to decorate your neighborhood temple or home thanks to the innovation of mold-made statues!
First, an introduction to the company is called for. Zorbas was founded in 1975 in Athienou, a village in Cyprus. It was initially a small family business, but now it lays claim to many locations across Cyprus. In 2015, they expanded their presence to New York City, where they have a store called “The French Workshop” in Queens. There are now three locations across the city, with another on the way.
Before I even arrived in Larnaca or had seen the city with my own eyes, one of the paramount aspects of the city which had been told to me was Zorbas, a 24 hour bakery with multiple locations all over Cyprus – and, as I was to learn, in the United States. Previous participants in the dig raved to me about their experience at the bakery, and I couldn’t help but feel anticipation to explore Zorbas myself. And finally, when I got to Cyprus, my frenzied waiting came to a close.
So, let me paint you a word picture: It is 4:30am. A faint yellow stripe of light is creeping over the horizon, but the moon continues to glow silver in relentless defiance. Her family of stars stick by her side like a brood of ducklings, refusing to let their light grow dim. My alarm rings, and I wrench open my eyes in frenzied instinct, my brain reacting to the noise like a veteran hearing fireworks. Be still my heart, I think to myself, subconsciously quoting Homer as I so often do. My stress only mounts as I and my three other roommates rush to get ready with only one bathroom. Somehow we find ourselves in the appointed meeting place at 5am, where I stumble into a van which, like the illustrious chariot of Helios, conveys me to Zorbas.
Founded in the Hellenistic period and continued on through Roman times, Nea Paphos is a site that offers a glimpse into an ancient city and some elite Roman mosaics. I loved the site last year, which I wrote a blog post on in July 2024 as well, but after another year of study, the site posed new questions and interests for me—mainly the conservation and management of the site and, more specifically, of the remarkable mosaics.
Nea Paphos has been excavated by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw since 1963, and was joined by Jagiellonian University later in 2011 to uncover the different Hellenistic and Roman elements of the site. In 1980, the site was listed as one of the three parts comprising the Paphos area as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which increased both tourism and support for the site to fund restoration and preservation projects.
Restoration at Nea Paphos has focused primarily on the mosaics as they provide a substantial draw for tourism to the site and are more vulnerable to the elements and human activity than the walls of buildings and such. While we were walking around the site, I noticed the different practices put in place to allow visitors to engage with the site, but still protect the ancient art.
When I got to Cyprus and started walking around the city of Larnaka, where we’re staying, one question kept coming to mind…
Who’s this ‘Agios Lazaros’ guy?
I saw his name everywhere, on local schools, on the names of businesses, and even on the very few street signs that exist in Larnaka (apparently most people don’t really care about them here). Then, after seeing the name ‘Agios Nikolaos’ on bottled water translated to ‘Saint Nicholas’ on English versions of the brand, I realized that Agios means ‘saint’ and isn’t a first name, thus the name I was seeing everywhere was Saint Lazarus. So…
Who’s this Saint Lazarus guy?
The guy in question, between Greek, Cypriot, and Greek Orthodox flags, maybe two meters out of frame, but you can see the flagpole. Very similar pictures, sometimes with the narrative or not, are found in almost all icon, copper, silversmith, and general tchotchke shops around town.Continue reading “Agios Lazaros”
The pigeons of Cyprus roam Larnaca in hoards. Just like the stray cats, they wander the city like it’s their own. Pigeons were originally domesticated for meat, entertainment, and message delivery, which is why they are still so prevalent in metropolitan areas. Several types of pigeons were bred for hyper specific purposes, such as parlor pigeons–they are flightless and were designed to somersault across the floors of parlors, which served as a strange and archaic pastime for the rich. Although, as other technologies developed, pigeons became less and less useful. And now that pigeons don’t serve a specific purpose, they are no longer as highly valued as they once were. So pigeons are now often viewed as pests–some even refer to them as “rats of the sky.”
But as a lover of rats and pigeons I have never understood this. Pigeons are beautiful birds, they come in so many colors and they have gorgeous iridescent feathers. Their loyal and docile nature makes them great pets. They are one of the best and easiest birds to keep because they are already domesticated, as opposed to parrots or parakeets who are wild tropical birds that either must be captured from their natural habitat or bred in captivity. Pigeons are deeply affectionate creatures who crave companionship, which is why they live in cities and why they are so eager to eat the scraps that humans give them. Pigeons rely on humans to help them survive, which is one of the reasons why I have such a soft spot for them.
While I was roaming Larnaca with Kendall and Joaquin, we stopped at the Church of Saint Lazarus–where many pigeons congregate. I have a habit of trying to catch wild animals, and this time was no exception. So I was running about the square, trying to catch a pigeon, any pigeon–which I had only successfully done one other time. And as I was frantically trying to snatch one, I noticed a man chuckling at my many failed attempts. As I turned to laugh with him he said, “There are two ways to catch a pigeon.” My curiosity was immediately piqued, and I asked him to tell me his ways. To which he said “First is the way you’re doing it.” I asked the what the second way was, because clearly the first wasn’t working out. He disappeared into his shop (named Everyday is a Gift, I got a free ring and a lovely pair of earrings after this interaction), and he returned with a piece of bread. He handed it to me and told me to drop the crumbs at my feet. As soon as the first piece of bread hit the ground, a hoard of pigeons descend upon us. I dropped more crumbs at my feet and while they were distracted I grabbed one. I was absolutely delighted and beaming with pride, I caught a pigeon, he was in my grasp. He wasn’t even mad, he just looked at me with deep confusion, as if he couldn’t believe he had been caught. After I had sufficiently celebrated my victory, I set him free, but only to grab a new pigeon. Kendall had been watching the whole time and she joined in on the fun. So we were each excitedly clutching our pigeons, who were just deeply flabbergasted and too confused to even protest. We thanked the Pigeon Master for his guidance, and he smiled at us, invited us to look around in his shop, and disappeared back inside. Then we said goodbye to both our pigeons and set them free.
The Vigla Archaeological Field School is back for 2025! We’re one week into this year’s season, so look here for frequent student posts about archaeology and Cypriot living. This year our students are Mason Ross (for a second time), Riley Stockton (also for a second time!), Aoife Raney, Rowan Eng-Kryston, Joaquin Pellegrin-Alvarez, Sarah Haselton, and Kendall Christensen. The project, cosponsored by MSU Denver and Trinity University in San Antonio, also includes students both universities, as well as a Cypriot student from the University of Cologne in Germany. Our staff are:
Tom Landvatter, Reed (co-director) Brandon R. Olson, MSU Denver (co-director) Melanie Godsey, Trinity University (co-director) Brandon Baker, Elon University (field director and trench supervisor) Elise Poppen, Indiana University (trench supervisor) Emilie Nordhues, UCLA (trench supervisor) Lex Ladge (’19), University of Chicago (registrar) Justin Stephens, MSU Denver (senior staff)
