In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, from about 323 B.C. to the fourth century A.D., Nea Paphos was the island's political capital. The Tombs of the Kings is somewhat of a misnomer since Cyprus did not have royalty during these periods. The tombs probably were the burial grounds of the elite political and administrative families of the capital town.
Large rock cut tombs with a central atrium and burial chambers on either side were formed in the style of the colossal burial grounds of Alexandria. Individual graves were cut into these large tombs over several centuries. "Paphos Tombs of the Kings consist of a large underground rectangular courtyard, carved in rock," according to paphostravelguide.com. "The galleries surrounding the courtyard are supported by Doric limestone columns. The vaults and funeral pockets are carved on the sides of the galleries."
Scientific excavations of the tombs have uncovered partial and entire examples of ancient ceramic plates and bowls, jewelry, glass vessels and lamps. These excavations were headed by Dr. Sophocles Hadjisavvas, director of the Department of Antiquities of the Republic of Cyprus, between 1977 and 1990, and by Dr. Paul Croft from the University of Edinburgh in 1998 and 1999. The finds from the eight large tomb complexes and the numerous smaller tombs are stored in the Paphos District Archaeological Museum.
As of 2011, the University of Sydney (Australia) Tombs of the Kings Project plans to use cutting edge technology to study the cemetery. A large proportion of discoveries from the grave site are ceramic and glass vessels. These vessels can be analyzed for traces of their former contents. Chemical residue analysis can generate new data relevant to studying how these vessels were used in funeral rituals. Techniques include gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. These methods will not damage the vessels.
