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PKAP Cyprus |
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| NARRATOR: Nearly a thousand years ago, Cyprus was part of a thriving trade network and subject to multiple conquests. Even today Cyprus is divided. A UN peacekeeping force separates a Turkish régime in the north from a Greek republic in the south, and three British military bases dot the island. The British Dekelia base is particularly important because it contains remnants of an ancient settlement dating back to the late Roman period. Through the corporation of the Department of Antiquities, the British Ministry of Defense, and the Larnaka District Archaeological Museum, PKAP gain permission to survey for artifacts on Dekelia’s military firing range, which may provide clues about life in ancient Cyprus. MICHAEL FRONDA: This is an island that is divided between Turkish and Cypriot rule – there’s this tension. We’re at an interesting crossroads in the Mediterranean, between sort of an East and West if you will, or Middle East and Europe. So throughout history, on this island, a lot of pressing questions that are affecting the contemporary world have played themselves out here, and continue to play themselves out here. WILLIAM CARAHER: And as you will soon see, everything here is incredibly expensive this year. And this is the best Kebab house on the entire island, which we have not gone to as often as we should. MICHAEL FRONDA: We’ll have Kebab’s tonight in honor of it. WILLIAM CARAHER: Right. Home cooked Kebabs. MICHAEL FORNDA: They really don’t look very good. SCOTT MOORE: The team was originally composed of Dr. William Caraher, David Pettegrew, and myself. I was looking for an area to survey and so I needed some help and they were very good at what they do, so I approached them. And we’ve been sort of expanding outward each year since then, bringing on specialists and other people we enjoy working with. MICHAEL FRONDA: Is this the sacred bathtub? SCOTT MOORE: He tends to be a smart ass, which is just incredible. I was going to say a burial – a Christian burial. It’s a fun place to work. It’s very laidback – I sort of fell in love with the island. It gets a little hot on occasion. The sun is pretty bright, but other than that it’s a really enjoyable place to work. It’s where Greek culture and Near Eastern culture really interested between the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Egyptians, Persians. You know? You name them, they came here. And the Department of Antiquities here is very interested in finding people to help them survey different areas, so it was very fortuitous for me. |
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