Since the partition of the island in 1974, archeology of Cyprus has been developing in an unbalanced and biased way. While the south of the island is extensively explored thanks to the presence of internationally supported and organized excavation and survey projects, the northern part is almost completely ignored. Such disproportion in the intensity of research is caused by legal and ethical concerns surrounding the internationally unrecognized state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the consequence of which is irretrievable losses in archaeological substance and data.

Not only are unearthed structures and finds in the north are deliberately ignored but also new scientific knowledge acquired through them is prevented from entering into the international literature. Present archaeological evidence originating from Northern Cyprus is regarded as non-existent and excluded from scholarly discussions.

Based on some selected examples, this lecture will show how the current political division of the island harms independent research and consequently leads to the development of biased archaeology. It will question the scientific validity of the research status of Cypriot archeology as it is accepted today in the international literature. It will finally offer proposals to break this vicious circle and argue for more holistic and impartial approaches despite of unsolved political problems

 

Start

October 22, 2021 –  19.00

End