Lasers reveal hidden ships in ancient Cyprus temple
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Archaeologists in Cyprus discovered 23 ancient ship etchings hidden on the walls of the Kition Kahthari temple complex.
Researchers used laser scanning technology in 2024 to reveal the images, which had gone unnoticed for over 40 years despite earlier excavations beginning in 1959. The city of Kition, founded by Phoenicians around 10th century BCE, was a significant kingdom before becoming part of the Roman Empire in 58 BCE. The ship illustrations weren’t created at once.
Evidence suggests people carved the vessels into the stone over a period of 300 years, with one repair stone added 150 years after the original wall construction also bearing a ship image. Caroline Barnes of the University of British Columbia explained she felt “tremendously excited” when the scans revealed the extent of the artwork.
The archaeologists grouped the ships into six categories representing vessels from the Levant, Minoa, and the Carmel Coast, indicating connections with other cultures in the eastern Mediterranean. The team believes this discovery challenges the idea of a complete cultural collapse at the end of the Bronze Age, showing that knowledge and artistic tradition continued despite significant changes.
The purpose of the etchings remains unknown, but they offer new insight into the beliefs and practices of people who lived in Kition millennia ago.
