Appendix  IL
 

Gold ohjects discovered in Cyprus.

V. PL CCXVII.
By Herr Direktor Frauberger (Dtisseldorf).

The island of Cyprus was highly esteemed even in ancient times for its productive copper-
mines, and its situation was favorable to commerce with the whole known world. Of late years, for
some decades archaeologists have come to hold it in special esteem also for the rich discoveries they
have made of gold ornaments which have come to hght in the various religious centres that have
been excavated. From its situation the possession of the island was extremely important to such
powerful peoples as left their own shores for commercial purposes. We therefore find Assyrians,
Egyptians, Persians, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Venetians and English as successively masters of
this mountainous island which yet is by no means wanting in fruitful spots. It is further owing to
this situation that not only articles of commerce, but that manners, customs, habits of life of the
peoples who successively ruled it are to be found on the island, and that its native population could
not free itself from the influence of foreign culture: this has left its mark in the remains of ancient
architecture, and is very clearly evidenced in the diverse contents of the various graves that have
been opened.

From the contents of these graves, which form the starting point and basis of the conclusions
arrived at in this book, I shall select the gold ornaments, although they have been frequently com¬
mented on before, and I shall say a few words about them more especially with reference to the
ornaments in the industrial Museum at Dtisseldorf which are published in plate CCXVII.

In most of the ancient graves of Cyprus gold ornaments are found; but in each grave the
quantity tound varies and so does the artistic merit. In Cyprus the old law about treasure trove is
still in force. The third of the find belongs to the government of Cyprus, and already it has obtained
possession of a goodly number of specially lovely gold ornaments, which in time will adorn the
Cyprian Museum at Nikosia, as soon as a spacious building has been got ready for their reception
and an archaeologist, who has a thorough acquaintance with the ancient art of Cyprus, has been
appointed excavator.    One third of the find belongs to the excavators and as the funds for excavating

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