More than a Church: Late Antique Ecclesiastical Complexes in Cyprus

Catherine T. Keane, Ph.D. (2021), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, is a postdoctoral researcher at Philipps-Universität Marburg. Her publications and research focus on the church’s economic roles and resilience, undertaken at Koç University Istanbul, Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute, and the Universität Tübingen.

• ContentsForewordIllustrations1 Introduction1 Research Context and Significance2 Methodology and Organisation2 The Byzantine Empire and Cyprus in Late Antiquity3 New Roles of the Church in Late Antiquity1 Shifting Roles of the Church in Late Antiquity2 The State of Research on the Late Antique Economy and Church4 Olive Oil Presses: beyond Local Sustenance1 Olive Oil Sites in Cyprus2 Basilica C, Agios Georgios, Pegeia3 Agia Varvara, Amathous4 Panagia Chrysopolitissa, Nea Paphos5 Summary Remarks5 The Flour and Bread Industry: Post-Destruction Activity?1 Bread, Flour, and Grain2 Cypriot Sites3 Episcopal Basilica of Amathous4 Post-destruction Industry: Continuity or Squatting?5 Summary Remarks6 Ceramic Kilns: Reinterpreting a Lime Kiln at a Coastal Basilica1 Description of Kourion’s Coastal Basilica2 Lime Kiln3 Phasing of Church and Annexes4 Regional Context5 Ceramic Kilns in Cyprus6 Summary Remarks7 The Troodos and Copper: Christianising the Landscape1 Introduction2 Soloi and Its Hinterland3 Mitsero and Tamassos4 Kalavasos and the Vasilikos Valley5 South-Western Troodos6 Agios Kononas7 Polis / Arsinoe8 Summary of Mining across the Troodos9 Landscape and Environment8 The Church and Economy beyond Late Antiquity1 Beyond Late Antiquity2 Church-Building Activity3 Economic Indications9 Conclusion1 Summary2 DiscussionBibliographyAbbreviationsAncient Textual EditionsModern SourcesAppendix: GazetteerIndex of ThemesIndex of PlacesIndex of People

"[The volume] is nothing short of admirable, providing a reliable guide, assessment and interpretation of key sites that will prove invaluable to the scholarly community. [...] There is no doubt that Keane’s monograph covers a lot of ground, treading new paths and providing much food for thought. Her meticulous engagement with difficult archaeological evidence combined with her indefatigable efforts to delve into the slightest detail that might shed some light on the issues she is concerned with, constitute a lesson worth learning. This book is also a stepping stone for further research regarding social and economic changes on Cyprus itself but also in other regions of the Mediterranean." – Tassos Papacostas, in: Plekos, 27 (24 March 2025), p. 125-7. Read the full review here.