PSI Foundation organises a lecture by the archaeologist Yiannis Violaris as part of the parallel programme accompanying the exhibition TEKTON. Under the title “Colonising” the Colonised: “The Fantastic Years” of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition (1927–1931), the lecture addresses the question: What happens when archaeology becomes entangled with colonial power?
Yiannis Violaris revisits the legacy of the Swedish Cyprus Expedition (SCE)—one of the most celebrated archaeological missions on the island—through a critical lens. The expedition was active on the island between 1927 and 1931 and while hailed for its scientific rigour and foundational role in Cypriot archaeology, it also benefited from changes to local antiquities laws and colonial infrastructure, allowing for…
