Primary Source XXXVIII: An Excerpt from Luigi Palma Di Cesnola

Luigi Palma Di Cesnola is a controversial figure in Cypriot history. Born in Turin in 1832, he served in the First Italian War of Independence and later in the Crimean War. In 1858, he left Italy for the United States where his service in U.S. Civil War earned him distinction. He was later appointed as a consul in Larnaca where he engaged in wide-spread excavations (which many have considered tantamount to looting). Most of his finds were purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he served as its first director. His finds can still be seen there to this day. This excerpt was taken from his book, "Cyprus: Its Ancient Cities, Tombs and Temples" where he describes one of the many tombs across Cyprus. This, of course, being the perfect introduction to next month's guest, Dr. Sherry Fox, where we discuss changing burial customs in Cyprus from the very ancient to the present. Next month: Bones, Burials and Bioarchaeology! Here is the text in full: "West of these tombs, I discovered nine oven-shaped caverns, containing such a quantity of bones that I was extremely curious to examine one thoroughly. Accordingly, the earth was removed and I counted no less than sixty-four human skulls. These nine caverns would have been infinitely too small to contain the amount of bodies indicated and I believe therefore that they were ossuaries for bones, removed from the rock-cut tombs to make way for other bodies. There was a platform made of sun-dried bricks and upon the platform the dead were laid, with the head always towards the entrance. These tombs were made to contain in most cases three bodies, yet in many of them the remains of two, one on the right and the other on the left of the doorway. In some few instances a reversed earthenware plate was found placed under the head, serving as a pillow to the dead." Luigi Palma Di Cesnola - Cyprus Its Ancient Cities, Tombs and Temples, 1877"