A Swedish expedition discovered the Cypriot Terracotta Army, consisting of 2000 figurines, in a sanctuary in the Turkish-occupied village of Agia Irini. The expedition classified the figurines as belonging to the Cypriot-Archaic era.
The Terracotta Army of Cyprus is a huge archaeological find and historical theme, as the collection of thousands of figurines in a place of worship is nowhere in the world except the buried soldiers in the Mausoleum of the First Chinese Emperor.
In the treasure of Cyprus, 2,000 clay statues with mainly male figures and cattle were placed as votive offerings in a semicircle around the altar of the sanctuary. The male figures wore war clothing but were unarmed.
The multitude of statuettes, the many chariots drawn by four horses manned by drivers and warriors in full armour, a few bronze statuettes, and a large number of life-size statues arranged in wide semicircles around a stone enclosure have cultural value.
About two-thirds of the unique archaeological finds were transported to Sweden in 1931 and are now the core of the Cypriot collections of the Stockholm Medelhavsmuseet.
About 12,000 of the 18,000 mobile finds were packed in 771 wooden containers and transported by rail from Nicosia to Famagusta and then by ship to Sweden, which also has all the diagnostic shells.
Currently, the 1500 figurines are in Sweden, while the 500 figurines that remain in Nicosia are among the most impressive exhibits in the Archaeological Museum of the island’s capital, Nicosia.
The article first appeared on Holly Wolff.
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