Database

All records are characterized by information related to the technical, descriptive and visual data of the registered architectural elements and stone artefacts. Each object record follows the template described below:

Type of Object

The database contains all the stone elements that can be identified as belonging to the architectural decoration. Therefore, it does not include stone objects that have a purely structural function, were part of the water management infrastructure or that could be associated with industrial activity.

The elements have been classified according to their function or specific features. They are divided into 14 key categories: base, column, capital, cornice, frieze, balustrade slab, frame, threshold, jamb, arula, cippus, puteal, furniture, worked block (including blocks carved for utilitarian purposes or bearing masons’ marks).

Some of the categories receive more detail, e.g. architectural orders (capitals: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, simplified Corinthian) and morphological features (pillar base, column base, pilaster base; column shaft/drum, pillar block, pilaster block). When the identification of an object was uncertain due to its poor state of preservation, it was classified as indeterminate. Definitions of some ambiguous terms can be found in the Glossary.

Object ID

Each object is identified by an arbitrary Object ID preceded by the letter D assigned during the project implementation.

Inventory number (Inv. No)

This is the inventory number given to some objects during the excavation. The objects lacking such a number are noted as ̶.. The number is preceded by the code PHH which stands for Paphos House of Hercules, and was given to the first finds before it had begun to be officially called the House of Orpheus.

Spatial coordinates (x, y, z)

The local coordinate system is used. Coordinates are applicable only to the items still at the site, most of which are left where they were found (see below, Location). The rest of the items is marked with a ‘ ̶.’

Unit

The objects stored on the site are defined by the unit number in which they are currently located. For objects stored outside the site (see below), the units’ numbers relate to the trench in which the objects were excavated. The find spot of several objects is not certain – in such cases the hypothetical, albeit probable unit number is followed by the question mark.

Location

Four main terms are used to describe the current location of the objects. Two of them refer to the objects stored on the site, the other two to the objects stored elsewhere. In situ indicates an object left at the point where it was found. On site not in situ refers to an object that has been moved after discovery. Stored in Paphos Museum and stored on site refer to objects stored in the Archaeological Museum of the Paphos District, and in a container of the House of Orpheus Mission in the Paphos Archaeological Park, respectively.

Context

For both In situ and On site not in situ objects, the Context file contains information about the room (if known) in which a given object was excavated. The file also includes comments that may prove valuable for the interpretation of the registered object and useful in the architectural reconstruction (for example items found nearby). Information on the secondary position or use of registered items has also been recorded. For the objects not stored in the excavated area, the trench and level numbers, as well as the year of excavation are provided. Level + denotes a surface find; the remaining levels, starting with 1, are numbered according to the sequence in which they were identified and excavated.

Dimensions (width, length, thickness, diameter; remarks)

Measurements are in meters. Different sets of dimensions are given depending on the category of the object:

• for capitals, column bases and shafts, as well as putealia, cippi, arulae and, if applicable, furniture, the dimensions given are the diameter and the height;
• for all remaining objects, their width, height and thickness are recorded. Two dimensions separated by a hyphen represent the minimum and maximum values. Some dimensions are sometimes missing for items that are not fully excavated. For several objects, an extra comment was deemed necessary, which relates to additional information such as a recess, a scamillus or any other specific feature that characterizes an item or could indicate the reconstructed dimensions.

Material

The majority of the objects were made of local calcarenite. Other materials include limestone, marble, and athasopetra (very hard, white local stone).

Coating

All types of coating are recorded. Two main terms, plaster and stucco, are used in a distinct way:

• ‘plaster’ is used for a revetment that corresponds to the surface shape of the object onto which it is applied
• ‘stucco’ is used to indicate the plastic revetment,which does not necessarily follow the shape of the object on which it is applied and may have its own profile

When using the word ‘plaster’, we also refer to the preserved layers - the preparatory layer and the top layer. Any surviving pigment is mentioned in the description. If no pigment is indicated it means that the plaster or stucco are white.

Mason's/assembly mark

The presence of one or more marks that relate to carving or construction activities is noted. These mostly consist of Greek letter(s), which are given in their original and in a transliteration in Latin characters. A few incised lines on a number of items are interpreted as the remains of the mason’s work.

Preservation/Condition

In the description we use several general terms specifying the degree of damage to a given object:

• Complete: for items preserved in their entirety;
• Almost complete: for items with minor damage;
• Fragment: for items preserved only in part;
• Poorly preserved: for items in a bad state of preservation, and small, abraded etc. fragments.

Description

A short description highlights the principal features that allow the identification of the type of the object. Particular emphasis is put on mouldings (where applicable). In the case of cornices, the mouldings are described from top to bottom; and in the reverse order in all other cases.

Date

The proposed dates are generic, and relate to phases 1 to 4. These are the chronological phases that have been identified in the development and expansion of the entire residence from the Hellenistic to the Late Roman period:

• Phase 1: Hellenistic period (4th-1st cent. BC)
• Phase 2A: late Hellenistic/early Roman (end 1st cent. BC/beginning 1st cent. AD)
• Phase 2B: early Roman (2nd half 1st cent. AD/beginning 2nd cent. AD)
• Phase 3: mid-Roman (2nd half 2nd cent. AD/beginning 3rd cent. AD)
• Phase 4: late Roman (2nd half 3rd cent. AD and later)

It should be noted, however, that Phase 4 only involves the reuse of older elements, not the production of new ones.

Unknown denotes cases where the state of preservation of an item does not permit the attribution of a date.

Parallels and remarks

This section lists possible comparisons. This includes comparanda (if any) from other contexts, coming from the House of Orpheus (cross-referencing within the database) and noted as ‘similar to’. ‘For parallels, see’, indicates parallels from other sites in Paphos or Cyprus and elsewhere. It is important to note that comparisons are not included for items of standard types that may be found all across the Mediterranean and beyond. Previously published items are provided with references. This section includes any other remarks (e.g. comments about dating) that do not fall under the above-mentioned fields.

The application graphically processes the database enabling the visualization of its content. It provides tools for displaying data about the site and individual, registered objects, as well as for the search according to specific criteria.
It consists of three components: ‘Workspace’, ‘Object Data Card’ and ‘Search Criteria’:

1. Workspace (main view)

The background of the application is an orthophoto (a photogrammetric plan) made in April 2019 by Marcin Gładki.
By clicking the Orthophoto it is possible to switch it into a regular plan (drawn by Jakub Kaniszewski on the basis of the orthophoto). The entire investigated area is divided into four units numbered from North (I) to South (IV). This subdivision corresponds to the original division of the building plots within the Hellenistic layout of the city. It can be displayed by clicking the Unit layout button.
On both the photogrammetric and regular plan all objects are marked with dots. The objects that are still found on the site are located on the plan by spatial coordinates. The items not stored on the site are visualized on both sides of the plan.
Elements (coming from all four units) currently in the Archaeological Museum of the Paphos District are marked on the left-hand side, elements in the container in the Archaeological Park (only from units III and IV) are marked on the right-hand side of the plan.
Furthermore, the objects stored outside the site of the House of Orpheus are sorted according to the units in which they were found. Objects whose location could not be determined are on top of the orthophoto.
By clicking the Room Nos button the numbers given to the rooms during the excavation will be displayed on both the photogrammetric and the regular plan.
By clicking the Trench Nos button it is possible to overlay on both plans all historical trenches reflecting the progress of the exploration of the site. Both the photogrammetric and the regular plans are accompanied by a scale ruler displayed at the bottom of the screen. A simple click turns the ruler off. All objects are marked with red dots; however, by choosing the Colour Codes button, it is possible to see the items marked as dots of different colours, each colour denoting a different category of object (see above).

2. Object data card

The Object Data Card is a visualization of the record of each object, including all registered information according to the template described above, as well as all the visual material.
When clicking the selected dot, the object data card appears.
On the left-hand side the technical data are displayed (see above).
On the right-hand side the visual and the descriptive data are displayed in the upper and lower window, respectively.
Visual data always comprise photo(s). When available, scans are also provided, as well as drawings of selected pieces.
Descriptive data contain a short description of the object with particular emphasis on mouldings (see above).

3. Search criteria

Each type of object is followed by a number in parentheses which indicates the total number of such objects excavated. The application allows the selection of one or several or all types of object at the same time. It is possible to search for individual items using two main search criteria: Type of object and Date. The Date criterion gives the possibility to select objects chronologically, according to phases numbered from 1 to 3 (see above), with the exception of a few objects for which the inability to strictly define the phase necessitates a broader dating (phase 2B/3). Additionally, by selecting the relevant graphic symbol, it is possible to sort objects quickly according to specific additional features, such as Coating, Mason’s/Assembly mark, On site not in situ.