Cyprus: Its Ancient Cities, Tombs, and Temples

This 1877 work sketches Cypriot history and customs as well as describing discoveries made by a controversial Italian-American amateur archaeologist.

United States consul to Cyprus from 1865 to 1877, Luigi Palma di Cesnola (1832–1904) also led archaeological excavations on the island. Including maps and illustrations, this 1877 publication sketches Cypriot history and customs as well as describing significant archaeological discoveries, including artefacts that were controversially removed and sold abroad.Born in Italy, Luigi Palma di Cesnola (1832–1904) settled in the United States and fought for the North in the American Civil War, becoming a cavalry colonel. Appointed by Abraham Lincoln, he then served as consul to Cyprus from 1865 to 1877. As an amateur archaeologist, he directed excavations throughout the island. In this 1877 publication, including maps and illustrations, Cesnola gives a useful sketch of Cypriot history and contemporary customs in addition to providing an important record of his archaeological practices and discoveries. He covers a number of ancient settlements where significant finds were made, notably Paphos, Amathus and Kourion. Many of the uncovered artefacts were controversially removed from Cyprus and sold to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art; Cesnola served as its first director. His brother Alessandro's Salaminia (1882), recording his own excavations and discoveries in Cyprus, is also reissued in this series.