Results from four seasons of excavation show that Yeronisos had an active
Chalcolithic phase (3100 B.C.) and flourished under the rule of the famous Egyptian Queen
Cleopatra (50-30 B.C.). Coins, pottery, glass, inscriptions, and
unique architectural remains suggest that Yeronisos preserves one of the most
signficant Ptolemaic sites ouside of Egypt. An earthquake seems to have
devestated the island during the late 1st century B.C./early 1st century
A.D. after which it remained abandoned, aside from some squatters' activity,
until the 6th century A.D. when a reservoir with impluvium,
and animal shelters were built.
Yeronisos, or "Sacred Island", is 12,000 square meters of
calcareous rock rising dramatically from the swelling seas just off the
coast of western Cyprus. Since 1990 it has been the extraordinary setting
for a total island study undertaken by Professor Joan Breton Connelly and
the Yeronisos Island Expedition for New York University. The project pioneers
the integration of ecological and archaeological fieldwork toward the
common goal of preserving natural and cultural resources.
A Day on the
Dig
A Slide
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Ship,
An Isle,
A Sickle Moonnext
NYU Department of
Fine
Arts