Discover the history of Vounous Cemetery

Looting & rescue digs (1931–32): Local police seized looted Red‑Polished pottery sold in Kyrenia, prompting initial excavations by Porphyrios Dikaios (Cyprus Museum), who unearthed around 48 graves.
Further excavations (1933, 1937–38): Claude Schaeffer of the French National Museum and James R. Stewart (British School at Athens) continued the work, uncovering tombs up to around 164.

The cemetery features rock‑cut chamber tombs mostly used by families over generations. Some chambers held up to nine bodies, often displaced to make room for new burials .

Rich offerings were placed with the deceased, including Red‑Polished pottery (bowls, jugs), terracotta models (houses, sanctuaries), stone and bronze tools, bronze jewelry, spindles, and occasional glass beads.
Red‑Polished ware—with burnished shiny red surfaces—dates from ca. 2500–2000 BC, and many such vessels were recorded by James and Eleanor Stewart.
Terracotta models found in several tombs depict detailed communal and ritual scenes, including:
- Tomb 22: a circular enclosure with figurines, cattle, a central “throne” figure, kneeling worshippers, snakes, and oxen—interpreted variously as symbols of fertility, ancestor cult, village life, or emerging elite authority.
- The famous “Vounous Bowl” interior showed detailed plastic scenes of daily or ritual life.

Many finds from Vounous are in major institutions: Cyprus Museum, British Museum, Louvre, Australian Museum, as well as regional museums (e.g., Liverpool).
Some significant bowls (like those from tomb 143, 2200–2000 BC) illustrate burial rituals and prestige customs.

Since 2017, Çatalköy‑Esentepe Municipality has held annual Vounous Terracotta Symposia right next to the site:

These workshops bring together artists and archaeologists globally to re-create Bronze Age pottery using local clays, traditional kilns, and ancient firing techniques.
The aim is to preserve, protect, and revive Vounous as a living open‑air museum and educational resource—hosting over 60–80 participants and public engagement each year .

Cultural significance: Offers rare insight into ritual, social organization, and symbolism during the Early–Middle Bronze Age in Cyprus.
Material artistry: Demonstrates advanced ceramic craftsmanship with finely burnished finishes and narrative plastic elements.
Heritage efforts: Active reconstruction and community-focused heritage protection aim to safeguard this 5,000‑year‑old legacy.

Visiting: Though not yet a formal museum, the necropolis site sees displays of reconstructed pieces and educational visits, notably during symposiums. For more info, contact Çatalköy Municipality or the EXARC group.

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