Archaeologists working in Paphos have identified a stamped amphora handle dating to around 117 BC, providing firm chronological evidence for late Hellenistic structures uncovered at the site. The find was announced by the Department of Antiquities following the completion of the 2025 excavation season.
Key archaeological find and dating
The Department of Antiquities reported the discovery of a stamped amphora handle bearing the name of the Rhodian eponym Aristombrotidas. The artefact is dated to around 117 BC and, according to the Department, confirms an assumption first put forward last year that the remains represent uniquely well preserved late Hellenistic architecture for Paphos.
Excavation teams and institutions involved
The excavations were carried out in 2025 as part of a joint expedition by the University of Warsaw and the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. Collaborating institutions included the Warsaw University of Technology, the University of Hamburg, the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and the National Museum in Kraków.
Areas of excavation and production evidence
Research was conducted in two areas, Maloutena and the Agora. Archaeologists recorded numerous crucibles used for melting metal, made from the lower parts of storage amphorae, indicating the presence of a production site.
At Maloutena, the exploration of layers in Room 1 continued, while at the Agora, work focused on the northern section of the Eastern Portico.
Architectural remains and water infrastructure
The Department of Antiquities stated that excavation was completed only in the south eastern corner of the site, where a settlement basin was discovered. The shallow water reservoir was functionally connected to Well S.233, previously uncovered and dated to the first half of the second century BC.
A ceramic pipe leading from the north into the basin was also identified. In the western part of the excavation, north of the basin, archaeologists uncovered part of a previously unknown stylobate and the lower sections of two fluted column drums without bases.
Traces of burning and a fragment of a terracotta pipeline were also found, although bedrock was not reached in this area.
Need for further research
Researchers noted that excavation in the area adjacent to the stylobate and columns must continue during the next season in order to clarify the chronology and function of the structures and associated objects.
Documentation of architectural elements
During field inspections, 350 architectural elements were identified within several houses excavated by the mission, including the Villa of Theseus, the so called Hellenistic House, the Early Roman House, the House of Aion, and the North East House, as well as nearby lapidaria.
All elements were inventoried, photographed and recorded in a dedicated database. Further work has already been planned.
Conservation and numismatic research
At the Archaeological Museum in Paphos, numismatic material was studied by Professor Jarosław Bodzek of the Institute of Archaeology at the Jagiellonian University. Conservation of metal objects was carried out by Dr Barbara Zając of the National Museum in Kraków.
A total of 71 coins were conserved, one of which was silver, with the remainder bronze. A small fragment of gold foil and the handle of a bronze situla were also preserved.
Milestones and related events
The Department of Antiquities noted that 2025 marked 60 years of research by the University of Warsaw Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology at Maloutena and 15 years of research by the Jagiellonian University at the Paphos Agora.
In May, the fourth international conference in the Nea Paphos Colloquium series, titled From Past to Present: Reflections on Six Decades of Excavations in Paphos, was held in Warsaw and Kraków. In June, a photographic exhibition titled From Maloutena to the Agora: 60 Years of Polish Archaeology in Nea Paphos, Cyprus opened at En Plo Gallery in Paphos harbour, alongside the official inauguration of the UW PCMA Research Centre in Paphos.
Source: CNA
