This lecture places Cyprus as a central cultural landscape in the ancient Mediterranean, demonstrating how this large island shaped regional networks of trade, technology, and ritual practice from the Neolithic to the Late Roman period.

Join Anastasia Christophilopoulou, George D. and Margo Behrakis Chair of Ancient Greece and Rome at The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and faculty of Classics at University of Cambridge, to learn how major archaeological discoveries, new field research, and the advancement of scientific techniques—from residue studies to ancient DNA analysis—have reshaped our understandings of Cyprus, painting a more dynamic, relational, and interdisciplinary picture of the island’s evolution.

This lecture will also explore how museum initiatives that focus on tracing the movement of materials, ideas, and art forms, are now crucially asking how island communities negotiated identity, power, and memory. Ultimately, we will examine how research in the past, or current community-driven work, can bridge themes of identity, connectivity, and belonging.

*This lecture is free and open to the public.
**Registration is required.

The Michael C. Carlos Museum’s Annual Cyprus Event is funded through the generous support of Christo and Susan Makrides, and is programed in partnership with the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Cyprus in Georgia.