At the crossroads of Mediterranean history and contemporary heritage tensions, a major discovery of the 20th century remains largely unknown to the general public: that of more than 2,000 terracotta statues uncovered in 1929 in the village of Agia Eirini, northwest of Cyprus. These figurines, dated from the 7th and life BC. AD, constitute the largest sculptural ensemble of the late Iron Age never found in the region.
A discovery born of an act of courage
The story began in the summer of 1929. On his lands, the priest Papa Prokopios surprised looters in full clandestine excavation. At a time when antiques traffic is frequent and rarely sanctioned, opposing these acts is neither common nor risk. Aware of the potential value of the fragments found, it brings a terracotta head dated from the 6th century BC. AD at the Nicosia Museum. This gesture quickly attracts the attention of the Swedish expedition of Cyprus, led by the archaeologist Einar Gjerstad.
Obtaining the necessary authorizations, the Swedish team began excavations in November 1929 on the very field of Prokopios. Very quickly, less than a meter deep, archaeologists bring to light a religious complex of an unprecedented scale. Arranged in an arc around an altar, more than 2,000 terracotta statues appear. Certain life -size, others smaller, all frozen in a precise ritual provision.
These figurines represent priests, helmeted warriors, musicians carrying drums and flutes. There are also sacred animals like bulls. The whole is organized according to a visual hierarchy. The smallest appear in the front row, the largest on the back. This suggests ceremonial use designed for cult rallies.
The configuration of the site, the number of artefacts and their exceptional conservation make this discovery one of the most important sets of terracotta sculptures of the Iron Age in the eastern Mediterranean.
The sacred heart of a syncretic religion in Cyprus
In Agia Eirini, excavations have uncovered much more than a simple deposit of votive objects. They reveal a continuous cult activity from the 12th to the 5th century BC. AD, carried by a structured ritual organization. The sanctuary deployed around a central courtyard, bordered by rectangular buildings in raw bricks. Certain structures, especially in the north and west, probably served as housing or reserves, while the southern spaces sheltered from the cult functions.
© © John Lindros / Domain Public© John Lindros / Domain Public
Archaeological discoveries bear witness to a rich and diversified liturgy. Vases with libations (votive deposits of liquids), offer tables, large pithoi, ritual axes, bull figurines and terracotta music instruments, such as flutes and drums, indicate practices combining music, liquid offerings and agricultural symbols. To this are added traces of sacrifices. Coars of ash and charred leftover on stone altars suggest bloody rites, giving a concrete and visceral dimension to ceremonies.
These altars were moved during subsequent phases of the site. But the old offerings have been reinforced with precaution nearby, revealing a continuity and an adaptation of the rituals. A central and constant element seems to have been a betyle – aniconic sacred stone -, around which the cult was organized.
Finally, the whole reflects intense religious syncretism. We find assyrian influences in muscle forms, Greek elements in rigid postures, and minoan references in sacred trees. Agia Eirini thus embodies a spiritual crossroads where local rites and external borrowing intersect.
A treasure fragmented by colonial interests
Behind the scientific brilliance of discovery hides a political reality marked by colonial power relations. At the time of excavations, Cyprus was under British domination. From the end of the excavations in 1931, the colonial administration concluded an agreement with the Swedish expedition. The archaeological treasure is divided. Without consultation with the local population or public transparency, around 1,500 terracotta figurines are sent to the Medelhavsmuse and Stockholm. Only 500 pieces remain on the island, now kept at the Cyprus museum in Nicosia.
This unequal sharing, decided in a context of imperial authority, is part of a logic where European science takes precedence over the cultural rights of colonized territories. Officially, this decision is justified by the desire to preserve objects and to study them. But this export deprives the site of its material and ritual coherence. The worship whole then loses a large part of its historical readability, detached from its place of origin, its stratigraphic layers, and its symbolic space.
© © NOTAFLY / DOMAIN PUBLIC
Statues in Stockholm. © Notefly / Domain Public
For Rhomaios, a Cypriot doctoral student engaged in the defense of the heritage, this dispersion undermines the collective memory of the island. He explains at Cyprus mail “” These scsulptures were not objects of art, but witnesses of a rooted cult ». The comparison it makes with a tree cut in its length translates the loss of meaning generated by this fragmentation. Even more, he denounces the institutional silence and oblivion in which this sanctuary fell, obscured by more publicized sites. According to him, the case is not only archaeological. It questions heritage justice and the historical responsibilities of Europe towards the former colonies.
A mobilization for the return of figurines in Cyprus
While the remains of Agia Eirini continue to attract scientific interest to the international, civic mobilization is gaining ground in Cyprus. Carried by votes like that of Rhomaios, it demands the repatriation of terracotta figurines currently kept in Stockholm. “” This fight goes beyond museography. It relates to cultural identity, historical memory and scientific coherence of objects ».
Certain initiatives have emerged, including the digitization of documents by the University of Technology of Cyprus (TEPAK), in partnership with the Medelhavsmuseet. But these efforts, if they have an educational scope, do not meet the expectations of the defenders of the local heritage. They call for physical restitution.
However, the political situation makes this return difficult. The Sanctuary of Agia Eirini is located in the north of Cyprus, under the control of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is an entity not recognized by the international community. This reality complicates any diplomatic action and slows offering official commitments.
Despite these obstacles, the petition launched by Rhomaios has already collected hundreds of signatures, from Cyprus and elsewhere. The growing support shows that the question of restitution finds an echo far beyond specialized circles.
If the file advances slowly, it opens up perspectives: rethink the role of museums, question the colonial inheritances, and restore a legitimate relationship between a people and its sacred objects. Agia Eirini's destiny of terracotta remains uncertain. But the debate it arouses is now very much alive.
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
