Site B (Phase 3): Friday 1 March 1896

Resumption of site B, ‘to the east of the tombs previously investigated and along the pathway’.

Tomb 71

Contents: CM
Materials/objects: Pottery, stone
Chronological range of objects: CC (5th–4th centuries BC)
Tomb type and status: Chamber (?). A sketch in the margin of the Notebook shows a small square shaft and a sarcophagus straddling the pathway, connected to a larger rectangular shaft on the other side of the track. The tomb is not described in the text of the Notebook
Additional information: Greek Black Figure lekythos (CM 1684); two alabaster bases; imported Greek lamp. CCM, 87, 182; Lamp III, 292.

Thumb-shaped limestone pestle, Tomb 72, 50 BC–300 AD (GR 1896,0201.135)

Tomb 72

Contents: BM: seven items
Materials/objects: Stone, bronze, gold, pottery
Chronological range of objects: CC (?); Roman
Tomb type and status: ‘A large circular tomb probably robbed and used again in Roman times’
Additional information: The Notebooks also mention bronze jewellery; two stone beads; ‘thirteen glass vases and glass jar or cup’; ‘seven large bronze coins – presumably Roman’; several clearly of Antonine date also found but not registered. See Lamp III, 292 and pl. 145 for an account of the tomb and the preserved grave goods.

Notebook
Descriptions of Tombs 71–72 with sketch of excavation area

Tomb 73

Contents: BM: 94 items
Materials/objects: Gold, silver, bronze, pottery, terracotta
Chronological range of objects: CA II–CC I
Tomb type and status: Chamber tomb ‘full of earth, apparently untouched’
Additional information: This is the richest and most comprehensively sampled (and documented) tomb from Kourion. See Bailey and Hockey 2001 for a full account, including the large group of Cypro-Archaic jewellery recovered from the scrap metal found in the tomb (GR 1991,12-11.1–35). However, as the latter note, the rarity of local pottery types in an ostensibly intact tomb is extremely unusual for a burial of this period; in reality the British Museum team may simply have discarded these without note.

Bronze figurinine of a woman from the top of a lamp-stand, imported from southern Italy, Tomb 73, c. 480 BC (GR 1896,0201.158)

Notebook
Description of Tomb 73

Notebook
Description of Tomb 73 continued

Tomb 74

Contents: CM
Materials/objects: Stone gem
Chronological range of objects: CC (?)
Tomb type and status:  ?
Additional information: ‘Sard’ intaglio with head of Athena, possibly an imported Greek gem.

Tomb 75

Contents: BM: one item
Materials/objects: Bronze 
Chronological range of objects: Roman (?)
Tomb type and status: ?
Additional information: 'About 13 beads of glass, stone, etc'. One stone bead was registered as 1896,2-1.86 but this is no longer identifiable; 'Bronze bracelet' (not preserved).

Tomb 76

Contents: CM
Materials/objects: Gold, silver
Chronological range of objects: CA–CC (?); Roman (?)
Tomb type and status: Large chamber tomb ‘with arched roof’; two skeletons
Additional information: Pair of ram’s head bracelets (CC); gold rings with decorated bezels and other jewellery; silver snake bracelets. The tomb is described in the Notebook as Roman but the identifiable finds are CA–CC in date. Perhaps the chamber was reused and the excavators found Roman material, which they did not record.

Tomb 77

Contents: BM: 19 items
Materials/objects: Bronze, stone, gold, glass, bone
Chronological range of objects: Roman
Tomb type and status: Large chamber tomb with long entrance passage dromos
Additional information: Five frags of gold leaf registered as 1896,2-1.169–173 were also registered but are no longer identifiable. Also mentioned in Notebook: stone beads; eight glass bottles, of which only the one retaining its contents was registered. 

Roman glass bottle containing the remnants of its original contents, Tomb 77, 1–200 AD (GR 1896,0201.174)

Notebook
Descriptions of Tombs 74–77 with sketch plan of Tomb 76

Tomb 78

Contents: BM: 12 items
Materials/objects: Silver, bronze, pottery
Chronological range of objects: CA II–CC
Tomb type and status: Chamber (?)

Tomb 79

Contents: CM
Materials/objects: Terracotta, pottery, gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone
Chronological range of objects: CA–CC (?)
Tomb type and status: Chamber (?)
Additional information: BiCh jar; three terracotta figurines; bronze & silver bowls; ‘Phoenician’ bronze lamp; gold and silver jewellery; frag. of an iron strigil.

Notebook
Descriptions of Tombs 78–79

Tomb 80

Contents: BM: five items
Materials/objects: Bronze, silver, gold
Chronological range of objects: CC II–Hellenistic
Tomb type and status:  Chamber (?)
Additional information: A second mirror case with ‘incised border line’; a silver coin of Alexander the Great; spatula.

Tomb 81

Contents: BM: three items
Materials/objects: Terracotta, bronze, gold
Chronological range of objects: Hellenistic-Roman
Tomb type and status:  Chamber (?)
Additional information: Bronze bowl and spatula (not registered); beads ‘of various material’; frags of a bronze ring (not kept).

Terracotta figurine of a votary, Tomb 81, 300–50 BC (GR 1896,0201.185)

Tomb 82

Contents: CM
Materials/objects: Pottery, lead (?), glass, bronze, faience (?)
Chronological range of objects: Hellenistic (?); Roman (?)
Tomb type and status: Chamber (?)
Additional information: ‘Leaden pyxis’, ‘green glass comic mask’.

Tomb 83

Contents: BM: 16 items
Materials/objects: Pottery, gold, silver, bronze, stone, iron, bone
Chronological range of objects: CA II–CCII (?)
Tomb type and status: Three interconnecting chambers, two axial, the third off-set but with a shaft on the opposite side of the passage (see sketch in Notebook)
Additional information: A second silver cup identical to 1896,2-1.336 was also registered but is no longer identifiable. A third silver 'bowl' is listed in the Notebook, but was not apparently registered. One is described as broken, and so perhaps was not preserved.  Also mentioned in Notebook: bone beads; iron stand.

Tomb 84

Contents: CM
Materials/objects: Pottery, gold, silver
Chronological range of objects: CA–CC (?)
Tomb type and status: Chamber (?)
Additional information: Gold ring, silver box with relief head, local pottery (not kept).

Notebook
Tombs 83 and 85 with sketch plan of Tomb 83

Tomb 85

Contents: CM
Materials/objects: Iron, bronze, bone
Chronological range of objects: CG/CA/CC (?)
Tomb type and status: Chamber (?)
Additional information: Frags of an iron sword, frags of a bronze cuirass, horse tooth.

Notebook
Descriptions of Tombs 80, 81, 82 and 84

Guide to the tombs

Tombs from Site A (1–6)
Tombs from Site B (7–14)
Tombs from Site C (15–19)
Return to Site B (20–26)
Tombs from Site D: phase I (27–58)
Tombs from Area E: phase I (59–70)
Site B: phase III (71–85)
Site D: phase II (86–109)
Area E: phase II (110–118)
Site C: phase II – continued 9 April 1895

Introductions to the sites

Site A | Site B | Site C / Temple site | Site D | Area E