Since its excavation by the Swedish Cyprus Expedition in the late 1920s, the palatial structure on an impressive hill near the bay of Morphou has mostly been interpreted following a clear bipolar model, established by the excavator, Einar Gjerstad: two clearly distinct building phases (with sub-phases), related to two clearly distinct political systems, first an Oriental (Persian) one, followed by a Western (Greek) one. Criticism of this (too) easy interpretation has been expressed since the 1970s onwards. A fresh look at the Vouni palace can be motivated by several recent developments. First, we do have much more information about “secondary” Persian/Achaemenid residences than was available in the 1920s, offering a wider spectrum for comparisons. Further, it is time to look at the Vouni palace not only from a local perspective, focussing on the allegedly contrast between Marion and Soloi, but from a wider regional context. Using elements from landscape archaeology, the regional and even pan-Cypriot importance of the structure shall be evaluated.
Talk
Der Palast von Vouni (Zypern) erneut betrachtet
Prof. Dr. Stephan G. Schmid