Bust of Alexander from Cyprus

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ 4 Comments

From ANSA:

Archaeologists in Cyprus found a marble bust of Alexander the Great – considered one of history’s most successful commanders – in a second three-aisled basilica that was brought to light on the site of Katalymmata ton Plakoton, of the Akrotiri peninsula, as Greek Reporter website writes. Excavations by the Cyprus Antiquities Department in the area have been in progress since 2007 when the first basilica was revealed. It is believed that the two basilicas are part of a monumental ecclesiastical complex which according to Eleni Procopiou, an area officer for the Antiquities Department, is related to St John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria, the patron saint of Limassol. The first basilica is a burial monument 36 meters in width and 29 meters in length. Procopiou stated that the second basilica is also a burial monument 20 meters in width and 47 meters in length. It is estimated that the findings date back to the second decade of the 7th century, between 616-617 A.D.

via: Archaeology: bust of Alexander the Great found in Cyprus (ANSA)

I haven’t been able to find a photo of the bust and I don’t think we’ve mentioned this dig before …

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Rainwater Damaging the Acropolis?

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ 1 Comment

From the not-always-reliable Greek Reporter:

For the past few years the walls and the foundations of the Acropolis have been collapsing due to heavy rainwater flow.

Archaeologists have been aware of the erosion caused to the subsoil of the Acropolis by the rainwater and have already submitted a study to bring the problem to the attention of the Central Archaeological Council of Greece (KAS). Furthermore, once the walls started to collapse the authorities prevented the visitors from ascending to the Acropolis from the theater of Dionysus and the Asclepeion.

The erosion problem derived from the fact that the major monument of Greece doesn’t have an up-to-date drainage system to absorb rainwater. Five out of the six ancient gutters have been blocked for many years now and the drainage system of Acropolis hasn’t been connected that of the city.

The secretary-general of the Ministry of Culture, Lina Mendoni, acknowledging the major impact of this destruction on the image of Greece, has mobilized both the Acropolis Restoration Scientific Committee and the Committee for the Preservation of the Acropolis Monuments to launch a program addressing the collapsing of the Acropolis’ walls. At the same time, the archaeological authorities have launched restoration programs for the already collapsed stones, stressed the KAS.