Stories of residents of Episkopi in excavations are shown through book and exhibition – What the Department of Antiquities reports
The experiences and stories of the inhabitants of the village of Episkopi(Limessou), whose lives were connected in one way or another with the archaeological research in the area, examine the book and the exhibition “Hands that Speak” that will be presented at the Local Archaeological Museum of Kourion in Episkopi on May 10 at 19:00.
According to a press release from the Department of Antiquities, although the residents of Episkopi participated in archaeological excavations conducted by Cypriot and foreign missions from beginnings of Cypriot archeology in the 19th century, their thoughts and experiences are omitted from official archaeological narratives.
As noted, “especially during the colonial period, archaeological dig workers were considered the 'hands' of archaeology; mere manual laborers who were not important enough to be mentioned or recorded”.
It is added that in order to be able to give a voice to the “hands” of archaeology, the photographer/researcher Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert, the archaeologists Elisavet Stefani and Michael Given, and the historian Polina Nikolaou carried out an oral history and photography project, entitled “Hands that They talk.”
It is also reported that since the stories of the workers cannot be found in archaeological records and publications, the team spoke directly to people who participated in archaeological excavations or who knew people who participated.< /p>
During 2022 and 2023, Elisavet Stefani and Polina Nikolaou interviewed the participants, aged between 65 and 87, who were selected through word of mouth.
During the interviews, the photographer Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert took photos of the participants, which record the people, the space and objects.
More specifically, the book “Hands that Speak” includes photos and stories from of: Eleni Christou, Sokrati Savva, Thessalia (Salli) Onofriou Kyriakou, Maroulla Triantafyllidou, Antoni Polykarpou, Maria Alexandrou, Demosthenes (Dimos) Theodorou, Katina Tillirou, Chrystalla Evangelou, Anna Konstantinou and Irini Kontou.
Noted. that most of the participants worked in archaeological excavations as seasonal workers, support staff for various missions, guards or specialized technicians.
It is noted that the book was published by the Department of Antiquities and will be released together with an exhibition in the Local Curio Archaeological Museum in Episkopi on May 10 at 19:00.
The project was funded by the Cyprus University of Technology and the CYENS Center of Excellence.
