The Centre for Cypriot Archaeology
The Centre for Cypriot Archaeology (CCA) was founded by decision of the Senate of the University of Sydney in 1993, and officially launched on 24 July that year.
The University of Sydney has a distinguished tradition in Cypriot archaeology. This tradition is reflected in the large Cypriot collection in the Nicholson Museum, and in the pioneering work on Cypriot archaeology by Australian scholars begun by the late Professor James Stewart in the 1950s, and continued by Emeritus Professor Basil Hennessy. The CCA was established at the University of Sydney to complement and enhance existing teaching and research facilities at the university and to develop the teaching and research of Cypriot archaeology in Australia.
In the past the CCA has supported the visit of a number of prominent Cypriot archaeologists to Australia for lecture tours including Professor Vassos Karageorghis, Dr Demos Christou, Dr Sophocles Hadjisavvas and Professor Demetrios Michaelides. On 29 July 1993, Professor Karageorghis planted a tree adjacent to the Nicholson Museum to symbolise the CCA and its activities.
One of the major activities supported by the Centre for Cypriot Archaeology are the archaeological investigations of the Hellenistic-Roman theatre of Nea Paphos and its surrounding environs. Since 1995 the University of Sydney has been excavating and investigating this important monument in the World Heritage listed site of Nea Paphos under the auspices of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus and with the support of Paphos Municipality and the Kato Paphos Cultural Association.
For more information on the work of the Centre for Cypriot Archaeology, contact:
Emeritus Professor J.R. Green Dr Craig Barker
Richard.Green@arts.usyd.edu.au c.barker@usyd.edu.au
