Yeronisos

Yeronisos
Native name: Γερόνησος
	Yeronisos Island, seen from the coast of Cyprus
Geography
Location	Cyprus
Coordinates	34°54′N 32°19′E / 34.90°N 32.31°E
Archipelago	Cyprus
Area	26,000 m2 (280,000 sq ft)
Administration
	Cyprus
Demographics
Population	0

Yeronisos or Geronisos (Greek: Γερόνησος or Ιερόνησος; transl. Holy Island) is a small island lying off the west coast of Cyprus, some 18 kilometres north of Paphos. Uninhabited since the 15th century, recent excavations have revealed it once held a sanctuary dedicated to Apollo in the late Hellenistic period.

Description[edit]

The island which lies 280 metres from the shore of western Cyprus has been uninhabited since the 14th or 15th century.^[1] It has an area of 26,000 square metres and rises 21.65 metres from sea level.^[2] Geologically the island consists of a hard calcarenite crust of Pleistocene marine terraces overlying a soft marl core.^[2]

The toponym "Holy Island" is an ancient one. Pliny speaks of an island called "Hiera," near Paphos, and Strabo mentions a place called "Hierocepis" nearby Paphos and Akamas.^[1] It is likely that the name refers to the Apollo sanctuary that stood there in the 1st century BC.^[1]

Excavations[edit]

The island was first excavated in 1982 by Sophocles Hadjisavvas following a proposal to build a hotel on the island.^[2] He quickly established the presence of Hellenistic remains on the island, which halted all further attempts to build on the island.^[2] In 1989, Joan Breton Connelly from New York University heard about the work and impressed by the range of the material joined the excavations which have continued since then.^[1]

The excavations have established three periods of occupation on Yeronisos. Early Chalcolithic (3800 BC), late Hellenistic (80-30 BC), and Byzantine (6th-7th century and 13th century). The most intense of this activity is the late Hellenistic period at a time when Cleopatra ruled Cyprus.^[2] Artefacts include coins, pottery, glass, and inscriptions.^[3] Limestone amulets, identical to those used in Cypriot sanctuaries of Apollo, point to ritual activity and the worship of Apollo.^[1] The island was apparently abandoned following a devastating earthquake in 1st century BC/AD.^[3] Low-level activity on the island begins again in the 6th century AD. when a reservoir and animal shelters were built.^[3]

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Yeronisos: The "Holy Island" off Cyprus". Greek News. 10 October 2010. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Korka, Elena (2015). The Protection of Archaeological Heritage in Times of Economic Crisis. Cambridge. pp. 114–116. ISBN 1443874116.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Yeronisos Island Expedition". New York University. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2017.

External links[edit]

Yeronisos Island Expedition, New York University
Yeronisos Island Expedition, www.yeronisos.org

[gn-1] "Yeronisos: The "Holy Island" off Cyprus". Greek News. 10 October 2010. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.

[korky-2] Korka, Elena (2015). The Protection of Archaeological Heritage in Times of Economic Crisis. Cambridge. pp. 114–116. ISBN 1443874116.

[nyu-3] "Yeronisos Island Expedition". New York University. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2017.

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