Paphos is known for its intricate and remarkably preserved mosaics, they are considered among the finest in the Mediterranean and form part of Kato Pafos, which we visited on our field trip to Paphos. The mosaics were discovered in 1962, when a farmer plowing his field came across one, totally unintentionally. From then on, systematic excavations were carried out, and led to the discovery of a group of large houses, the floors covered in mosaics, many of them incredibly intact. Archaeologists came to identify courtyards, dressing rooms, baths and other rooms and facilities of the houses. The houses were then named after the figures that adorned the floors, including the houses of Dionysos, Theseus, and Orpheus. The floor mosaics across all these houses depict various scenes from Cypriot life and Greek mythology. Some of the mosaics that stood out to me were the mosaics of the Bath of Achilles, the Four Seasons, and all the imagery of fruit and birds. The mosaic of the hunting scene also intrigued me, it felt more animated than the others. I think I found it interesting to see all the animals, running, not posed or sedentary. 

Something about all of the mosaics feel larger than life. The amount of work it must have taken to do all of this painstaking placing tiles across the hundreds of square meters that are all covered in this park is beyond my comprehension. I have so much awe and respect for the people who spent their lives creating such beautiful and long lasting art. On a very different level, as an archaeologist of sorts myself now, I also have mad respect for the people who swept up all the dirt that was on these, I can’t even imagine getting into those crevices!