Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens

13/05/2026

08/05/26 : 🟡 The often challenging path of women toward success in archaeology was discussed at the headquarters of the Polish Research Centre in Cyprus by Beata Kukiel Vraila, author of the book "Archaeology Without Makeup", and Professor Ewdoksia Papuci-Władyka.

🟡 The meeting in Paphos was a special one. It was devoted not only to the book, but above all to Professor Papuci-Władyka. It brought together both people directly involved in archaeological research and a group of friends of Polish archaeologists. The municipal authorities of Paphos - where Polish researchers have been working for 60 years - were represented by Acting Mayor Aggelos Onisiphorou, while the Polish Embassy in Cyprus was represented by Agata Szczepanowska. Among the guests were also Dr. Eustathis Raptou, Nikolas and Giannis Koulountis from the architectural firm supporting the Centre, and Dr. Anthi Chrysanthou.
🟡 "Professor Papuci-Władyka is not only an outstanding scholar, but also a wonderful person" emphasized Beata Kukiel-Vraila, author of the book and assistant director of PAIA. "When you are with her, you feel as if you are with your best friend".

🟡 Part of the event at the headquarters of the Polish archaeological mission in Cyprus included a tour of the local archaeological park. "I had the opportunity to see the archaeological park through the eyes of Professor Papuci-Władyka", said Beata Kukiel-Vraila. "It was both fascinating and moving. Beyond the history of this place, I could sense her genuine passion, love, attachment, and devotion to this land and to the stories of the people who once lived here. And as I looked at those magnificent mosaics, I thought that the Professor is, in a way, an integral part of them".

13/05/2026

🟥 We are delighted to announce that Dr. hab. Marzena Szmyt, AMU Professor - one of the featured protagonists of the PAIA publication Archaeology Without Makeup - has been honoured by the Poznań City Council with the title "Meritorious for the City of Poznań".

🟥 In the justification for their decision, the city councillors highlighted Professor Szmyt's outstanding academic achievements and highly commended her many years of dedication to the protection, research, and promotion of ’s archaeological heritage. Marzena Szmyt has not only conducted extensive research in Poznań, but has also played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Genius Loci Archaeological Reserve, which has become one of the most important institutions promoting knowledge about the origins of the Polish state.

🟥 Dr. hab. Marzena Szmyt is affiliated with Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. She also serves as Director of the Poznań Archaeological Museum: - In a way, it came as a bolt from the blue when I was offered the position of director at the Museum - she says. - It was only then that I began to understand the full extent of the situation. I wouldn’t necessarily claim that I "saved" the Archaeological Museum. However, I recognize that I assumed leadership of this esteemed institution during a particularly challenging period. To this day, I continue to give my utmost effort to the Museum, as I feel a profound sense of responsibility towards it".

🟦 The official presentation ceremony for the titles "Meritorious for the City of Poznań" and Honorary Citizen of the City of Poznań traditionally takes place during the ceremonial session of the Poznań City Council on 29 June, the feast day of the city's patron saints, Saints Peter and Paul.

Photo: Władysław Gardasz/ Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu

12/05/2026

08/05/26 : 🟥 A presentation of Beata Kukiel Vraila's book Archaeology Without Makeup was held at the headquarters of the Polish Research Centre in Cyprus (PCMA UW) in Paphos. The event marked another meeting devoted to the publication, the first volume in the PAIA Culture publishing series. The guest and, at the same time, host of the evening was Prof. Ewdoksia Papuci-Władyka, who is not only one of the protagonists featured in the book, but also Deputy Director of the Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens and head of the Polish archaeological mission in Nea Paphos.

🟥 The event at the Polish Research Centre in Cyprus was accompanied by a tour of archaeological sites where Polish researchers have been conducting excavations continuously for the past 60 years. Thanks to the new permanent archaeological base opened in Paphos in 2025, archaeologists from the University of Warsaw and the Jagiellonian University can now not only carry out intensive fieldwork in improved conditions, but also study and process their discoveries on site. The headquarters of the Polish mission in Paphos also serves as a forum for cooperation with researchers from Cyprus and other countries.

🟦 Excavations at Nea Paphos date back to the Hellenistic period and extend through to the Middle Ages. The ancient city as a whole, together with its harbour, covers an area of approximately 110 hectares. As Prof. Papuci-Władyka noted, despite the enormous amount of work undertaken so far, only a small part of the city has been uncovered. This is due to the need for detailed and time-consuming documentation of the excavations.

🟦 Today, Nea Paphos is considered the most important archaeological site in Cyprus. Research, supported by the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus, is conducted there not only by Cypriot and Polish teams, but also by scholars from the United Kingdom, Australia, France, and Italy.

***
In the photos (by Magdalena Kukiel), Professor Evdoxia Papuci-Wladyka reveals to the guests of the Polish archaeological mission in the secrets of ancient .

11/05/2026

🇵🇱 Nie od dziś wiadomo, że internet działa na trzech paliwach: memach, szczeniakach i kotach. Cel publikacji zdjęć, które właśnie Państwo oglądają jest więc oczywisty. Liczymy na polubienia, zachwyty i ciche westchnienia, bo to nie są byle mruczki! To są doskonale zaznajomione z antycznym światem Paphos niezależne koty archeologiczne, choć – jak sprawdziliśmy osobiście – myszką nie trącą.

Każdego ranka, zanim badacze ze Stacji Badawczej na Cyprze zdążą zaparzyć kawę i ukroić pierwszy kawałek chleba, pod drzwiami melduje się trzynastoosobowa delegacja z organizacji „Wymuszenia i haracze”, która doskonale wie komu najlepiej spojrzeć głęboko w oczy, by dzień przespać z pełnym brzuchem.

🇬🇧 It has long been known that the internet runs on three kinds of fuel: memes, puppies, and cats. So the reason for sharing the photos you are looking at right now is quite obvious. We are counting on likes, admiration, and a few quiet sighs of delight, because these are no ordinary cats! These are independent archaeological cats, perfectly familiar with the ancient world of Paphos, although, as we have personally confirmed, they are definitely not "mousey" or old-fashioned.

Every morning, before the researchers from the Polish PCMA UW Research Centre in Cyprus even manage to make coffee and cut the first slice of bread, a thirteen-member delegation from the organisation "Extortion and Protection Rackets" appears at the door. They know exactly whose eyes to look deeply into in order to spend the day napping with full stomachs.

Photos: Beata Kukiel-Vraila.

Centrum Archeologii Śródziemnomorskiej UW Polish Archaeology in Cyprus

11/05/2026

🔹 Strictly speaking, it is not an archaeological artefact. Nevertheless, it ranks among the world’s most important historical treasures, which is precisely why it commands our attention.

🔹Beginning in September this year, visitors to the British Museum in London will be able to admire the Bayeux Tapestry: a monumental embroidered work depicting the Norman conquest of England and one of the most valuable iconographic sources of the medieval world. After years of diplomatic and political negotiations, British PM Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron signed a landmark agreement under which France will lend the masterpiece to Britain for the first time in nearly 950 years.

🔹The Bayeux Tapestry stretches for almost 70 metres and was most likely created in England. The embroidery depicts events beginning in 1064 and culminating in the decisive Battle of Hastings of 1066, which earned William the epithet “the Conqueror”. "It details a dispute over who was rightful heir to King Edward the Confessor, who died in January 1066. Harold Godwinson was initially coronated but William of Normandy soon challenged him for the title. After killing Harold in the Battle of Hastings, William crushed rebels across the country and built castles to establish his power" (artnet_com).

🔹Initially, the tapestry was probably displayed in various churches and monasteries across Normandy and England. The earliest known reference to the work appears in an inventory of the Bayeux Cathedral dating from 1476. During the World War II, the tapestry was safeguarded at the Louvre Museum, and since 1983 it has been exhibited in Bayeux, France.

🔹Previous French governments had consistently rejected British requests to borrow the work. The United Kingdom failed to secure its loan either for the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953 or for the 900th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. Following a diplomatic breakthrough first reached in 2018, the tapestry is now set to go on display for ten months in the The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery (Sep. 2026-July 2027).

For the first time since it was made nearly 1,000 years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry is returning to England.

09/05/2026

🔴 Another event dedicated to the book "Archaeology Without Makeup. Conversations" is now behind us. We will soon share a report from the meeting in , . First, however, let us take a look at the local media coverage:

Συμπληρώνει φέτος 60 ολόκληρα χρόνια ανασκαφών στην Πάφο

08/05/2026

When Professor Evdoxia Papuci-Wladyka and Beata Kukiel-Vraila were presenting a book in about women-scientists working in , the ground literally started shaking in . That cannot have been a coincidence...

Minor earthquake felt in Paphos and parts of Limassol Friday.

08/05/2026

Today in Cyprus 🔴

07/05/2026

"Thank you for passing on your love for Poland to future generations", Polish Ambassador to Nicosia Marek Szczepanowski told members of the Polish community gathered at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Cyprus. "This is a testament to your great patriotism and a source of pride for the Polish embassy."

Representatives of the Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens (PAIA) and the Polish archaeological mission in Cyprus took part in a ceremonial banquet marking the Constitution Day of 3 May, organized in Nicosia by the Polish diplomatic mission. The event brought together a wide range of diplomats, representatives of the Cypriot government, and above all members of the Polish community and Polish archaeologists, who have been conducting research in Cyprus for more than 60 years.

The PAIA was represented by the institute's deputy director and head of the Polish Research Centrum in Cyprus, Prof. Ewdoksia Papuci-Władyka, as well as PAIA's Assistant Director and Cultural Coordinator, Beata Kukiel-Vraila.

#Λευκωσία #Πάφος #Κύπρος #Πολωνία Centrum Archeologii Śródziemnomorskiej UW Wydział Archeologii Uniwersytet Warszawski Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu Institute of Archaeology, Jagiellonian University (Cracow)

06/05/2026

It was not, of course, 'xinomavro' or 'agiorgitiko', but even the cold regions of Northern Europe also sought forms of leisure in… fermentation. 🍺 Alcoholic beverages were present among the inhabitants of the border zone of the North and East European Lowlands as early as 4,500 years ago. This conclusion was reached by researchers from the University of Warsaw and Lodz University of Technology, who analyzed vessels discovered in north-eastern Poland.

“These studies shed new light on alcohol consumption practices in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age” the authors note in a publication in Archaeometry. The results indicate that at least nine vessels once contained fermented alcoholic beverages resembling beer or more complex fermented mixtures, such as the so-called "Nordic grog".

According to the Polish researchers, the analysis also revealed the presence of biomarkers associated with cereal processing, including azelaic acid and plant sterols. These compounds suggest the possible use of cereals and fruits in production processes, as well as the potential addition of resins, likely used either for preservation purposes or for flavouring the beverages.

🔴 Link to the publication in Archaeometry: [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/arcm.70024]

Wydział Archeologii Uniwersytet Warszawski Politechnika Łódzka

06/05/2026

🔴 Ela Wilkanowska Wojtek Kowalski Dawid Kucfir Julia Gałuszka Theodoros Zygouris Mikołaj Maciejczyk Alicja Szymańska Maria Mandritis Amelia Stonoga Zilola Tulkinova Welcome to our new followers! Let's greet you with the ancient Greek dexiosis 🤝, a gesture with deep roots in Greece. Its exact origins are unknown, but as early as the 5th century BC, the handshake symbolized peace and mutual understanding, showing that neither person was armed.