Abstract

This volume re-examines one of the most exceptional archaeological discoveries made by the 1927–1931 Swedish Cyprus Expedition, the sanctuary of Ayia Irini. Celebrated for its corpus of terracotta votive sculpture, Ayia Irini has played a key part in our understanding of the island’s material and votive culture. In spite of its importance, however, significant aspects of Ayia Irini’s biography remained poorly understood. Based on the exceptional progress of Cypriot archaeological scholarship during the last decades, the volume explores two pivotal issues: it reconsiders the special symbolism, ideological connotations and political affiliation of Ayia Irini during the Archaic period, a time when the political landscape of Cyprus underwent significant transformations; and by thoroughly examining the sanctuary’s cultic and religious features, it attempts a more precise definition of the deity worshipped at Ayia Irini.