EXCAVATION PROJECT AT FABRIKA HILL IN PAPHOS PRESENTED

 Cyprus Mail 8 September 2020 - by Bejay Browne

A mosaic floor that was part of a building of the Hellenistic period is among the important finds from excavations carried out at Fabrika Hill in Kato Paphos.

The work was presented to Paphos Municipal Council on Monday evening by the head of the Archaeological Mission of the University of Avignon France, Professor of Archaeology and Ancient Greek History, Claire Balandier.

Balandier, who has headed the archaeological expedition that has been conducting excavations on site for the past12 years, said the Fabrika Hill area was the Acropolis of Paphos and with very important monuments for the history of the area.

“Mayor of Paphos, Phedonas Phedonos invited Professor Balandier to inform the members of the House about the important excavation work carried out in the last 12 years in this area by the French Archaeological Mission,” an announcement from Paphos municipality said.

“She even ranked the quarries that existed there as the third most important after the quarries of Petra in Jordan and Sicily,” it said.

The Professor also pointed out that excavation work is difficult at this time due to coronavirus since students could not come to the area or work. This year we are doing studies and cleaning, while at the same time the programme is being prepared for next year, she said.

One of the important findings of the area is a room with a mosaic floor that was part of a building of the Hellenistic period. It was found that the building was supplied with water from a clay pipe that is preserved in a very good condition, while the water came from the area of Tala.  This building appears to have been partially destroyed by later Roman-era water supply projects, which included the construction of a pipeline and reservoirs.

The mayor expressed his warm thanks to Professor Balandier, who has been visiting Paphos for 31 years and is fluent in Greek, and to all the foreign archaeological expeditions that have been conducting excavations in the city in recent years.

He referred in particular to the mission of the University of Krakow, led by Professor of Greek descent Evdoxia-Papoutsi-Wladyka, who is conducting an excavation in the ancient market of Paphos, as well as the mission of the University of Sydney, under the direction of Dr Craig Barker, and the discovery of the largest Hellenistic theatre with 8,000 seats.