Welcome to our channel! Today, we’re diving into one of the Mediterranean’s most incredible archaeological discoveries: the Terracotta Army of Agia Eirini.
Located in the scenic Morphou Bay within the Kyrenia district, the small village of Agia Eirini (or Akdeniz in Turkish) is under the de facto control of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. This village is home to an extraordinary find made by the Swedish Cyprus Expedition in 1929—an ancient sanctuary filled with over two thousand terracotta figures dating back to between 650 and 500 B.C.
The story begins in the summer of 1929 when Papa Prokopios, a local priest, brought a looted artifact to the museum in Nicosia. This artifact, a fragment of a 6th-century B.C. terracotta statue, caught the eye of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition led by Einar Gjerstad. They quickly secured excavation rights and began their work in November of that year.
What they uncovered was astonishing: a sanctuary in continuous use from the Late Bronze Age (around 1200 B.C.) to the end of the Cypriot Archaic period. The most significant finds date to the 7th and 6th centuries B.C., with around two thousand terracotta figures arranged in a semicircle just half a meter below the sand. These figures, depicting priests, warriors, common people, and animals, varied greatly in size, with some being life-sized.
The sanctuary underwent several phases of construction and renovation. Initially, it featured rectangular houses made of mud bricks on stone foundations, arranged around a large open courtyard. The western and northern houses likely served as residences and storerooms for priests, while the central and southern houses were used for cult activities. The complex housed various cult objects, suggesting a dedication to agrarian deities symbolizing fertility and abundance.
Over time, the sanctuary was buried and a new one was built on top. This new sanctuary had an irregularly shaped open temenos, surrounded by a peribolos (priest’s garden or orchard). Numerous terracotta offerings, mainly bull figures, were found around an altar covered in ash and charred remains, indicating blood sacrifices.
During the Cypro-Geometric III period, the sanctuary was transformed again. The peribolos walls were raised, and a new rectangular altar was built, displacing the old offerings. The votive offerings evolved to include anthropomorphic figures and minotaurs, indicating a shift towards a warrior deity.
The sanctuary reached its peak during the Cypro-Archaic I period, with the temenos expanded to include more structures. Two southern enclosures likely housed sacred trees, reminiscent of Minoan culture. Figures with bull masks, interpreted as priests, were found, suggesting rituals involving music, as indicated by figurines with tambourines and flutes.
The offerings continued to be terracotta figures arranged in semicircles around the altar, with the smallest closest to the altar and the largest behind, ensuring visibility during ceremonies. The sanctuary was repeatedly flooded at the beginning of the Cypro-Archaic II period, leading to its abandonment around 500 B.C. There was a brief revival in the 1st century B.C., but on a much smaller scale.
The deity worshiped at the sanctuary remains unknown, but an oval stone or betyl found in the most recent layers may have been the cult object. The site fell into oblivion until Papa Prokopios unknowingly cultivated corn over the ancient sculptures. Looters, aware of the buried treasures, led to the revelation of one of Cyprus’s and the Mediterranean’s most important archaeological artifacts.
In 1931, half of the objects were sent to Sweden with the British colonial government’s permission. Many of these terracotta figures are now housed in the Medelhavsmuseet in Stockholm, while the other half remains in the museum in Nicosia, Cyprus.
—
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more fascinating historical discoveries!
source