City of Gold: The Archaeology of Polis Chrysochous, Cyprus, edited by William A. P. Childs, Joanna S. Smith, and J. Michael Padgett (review)

Based on Cyprus’ strategic location and natural resources, the island’s archaeology provides a long-term perspective on the dialogue between local and external cultural developments. This viewpoint can be perceived in several regions with extensive settlement histories whose archaeology has often been discussed in monographs (e.g., Salamis: Karageorghis 1969; 1999; Kition: Karageorghis 1976). One region, however, has been noticeably absent from such studies, that of Polis Chrysochous. Situated on Cyprus’ northwest coast, the Polis region has always boasted agricultural possibilities, connections to Cyprus’ copper-rich interior, and access to maritime trade routes. Thus, Polis’ successive settlements of Marion, Arsinoe, and Polis tis Chrysochous (“city flowing with gold”; preface), have expressed a uniquely Cypriot identity informed by a broader cultural milieu.

Given the lack of comprehensive publications, City of Gold: The Archaeology of Polis Chrysochous, Cyprus, represents a significant contribution to Cypriot archaeology. This noteworthy volume accompanied the first-ever exhibition of Polis’ archaeology, which was held at the Princeton University Art Museum in 2012– 2013. The exhibition, curated by City of Gold’s editors, William A. P. Childs, Joanna S. Smith, and J. Michael Padgett, brought together 110 artifacts (several unpublished) lent by the British Museum, the Louvre, and the Cypriot Department of Antiquities. Exhibited objects included: stone and terracotta sculptures; inscriptions; jewelry; architectural fragments; metal, glass, and terracotta vessels; coins; and frescoes. According to Childs, the objects were selected “to convey as complete a picture as possible of the ancient remains uncovered by archaeologists at Polis over the past 130 years” (preface). The exhibition celebrated Princeton’s connections to the site of Marion-Arsinoe, which began with former Princeton professor Erik Sjöqvist’s (to whom City of Gold is dedicated) excavations and, which continued under Childs, the director of the Princeton Cyprus Expedition (1983– present). Yet, City of Gold’s primary importance lies in its “preliminary assessment” (preface) of Princeton’s excavations at Polis and its presentation of an archaeological narrative that complements other regional studies.

City of Gold is made up of five chapters, each comprising a specialist essay and a series of catalog entries, and the editors should be commended for engaging over 20 specialists to provide artifact commentaries. As a full-size (9.2 × 11 in) exhibition catalog, the entries include: a heading; a basic description with date, dimensions, and condition; analyses of context, use, and comparanda; and bibliographic notes. High-resolution color photographs are also provided, allowing for a discussion of each object’s stylistic and manufacturing details. City of Gold is thus valuable to researchers studying similar materials from other regional sites. The chapters are prefaced by a foreword, a chronological table, and three photo-maps of the Near East, Cyprus, and Polis. Architectural plans of Princeton’s excavation areas (augmented by digital reconstructions) and an extensive bibliography and index complete the volume.

Chapter I consists of Joanna Smith’s overview of Polis’ archaeological history. Smith first explains how colonialist adventurers, such as Luigi Palma di Cesnola and Max Ohnefalsch-Richter, unscientifically searched Polis’ extensive Archaic-Classical necropoleis for the city’s eponymous gold. She then considers the excavations of the Cyprus Exploration Fund (1889–1890) and the Cyprus Museum (1916–1918), and highlights how Munro and Markides initiated scientific recording methods via contextual notes, maps, cross-section drawings, and photography. Rupert Gunnis’ 1927 investigations are also treated, since Gunnis discovered the Princeton excavation sites of Petrerades and Maratheri. She then recounts the Swedish Cyprus Expedition’s 1929 excavations and emphasizes how Sjöqvist recorded tomb finds and architecture. Cypriot government-sponsored research is subsequently surveyed including the purchase of locally discovered antiquities, regional surveys, and departmental excavations. Lastly, Smith describes Princeton’s research, which has concentrated on “the remains of two towns thought to have existed under or near...