Did you ever have a bad day? I mean, a really, really bad day? Trapped in a 5,000-year-old tomb before being snatched out alive, turned a bad day into a great day for the victim and the rescuers. In western Cyprus, one particular September day was not only bad but could have been fatal…except for luck and happenstance. Here’s the true story of a lifesaving tomb rescue from a prehistoric necropolis.

by David Pearlman

AS1090124

9 minute read

There are good and bad days when you combine being a trained archaeologist and a professional tour guide. I’ve had my share of digs and tours of treasures in western Cyprus. From the 1970s, for 30-plus years, most of my work involved digging Bronze Age chamber tombs as part of a strong team from British and Cypriot institutions. These were exciting times and were my good days, especially when our efforts uncovered rare “finds”.

Most of these tomb excavations were “rescue digs” required because new roads were cutting across the virgin landscapes, exposed ancient burials in the road line. Or, as new buildings were going up, the building works would truncate the top portions of tombs. In a few cases in the mid-1980s, the installation of telephone lines along narrow village streets struck ancient tombs.

We had to work to tight schedules as the Greek part of the divided Cyprus was modernising after the hiatus caused by the Turkish invasion of 1974. It was a bad day when we had to quit an interesting site, leaving parts that had not been thoroughly investigated.

I now share my experiences of the archaeological wonders of the Paphos area of Cyprus, with the increasing numbers of international tourists deciding to ditch their sunbeds for a unique and exciting single-day excursion. We offer adventures aimed at the serious traveller who seeks that “extra special something” to enhance the texture of their holiday in Cyprus.

Suppose tourists seek an eye-opening experience, a less conventional and more environmentally friendly approach to discovering the island’s history, culture and natural landscapes. In that case, we will open all the right doors and push all the correct buttons.

That is how, in September 2018, I met Sally Miniel and Joe Lamm from Texas, USA and guided them on a full-day Private Excursion. The tour was aimed at mainstream and off-the-beaten-track archaeological sites in western Cyprus. I shall not easily forget this day because one of the most unusual experiences I’ve ever had, either as an archaeologist or a professional tour guide, occurred mid-way through the excursion.

Lifesaving tomb rescue

We had just ended a visit to a rather unique 14th-century painted church located down some isolated dirt track, miles from anywhere. When Joe Lamm mentioned that he was interested in prehistoric archaeological sites, I told him: “You’re in luck because nearby, there happens to be an excellent example of a Chalcolithic Period (ca. 3000BC) necropolis (burial ground). Dozens of shaft graves have been cut into a soft limestone outcrop. It’s only a ten-minute drive from where we are now.”

So, that’s how it all started…a sudden last-minute decision. We diverted from our planned itinerary to include this special site. Under normal circumstances, we would not have visited this place that day. But on these Private Excursions, spontaneity rules. We ended up in the right place at the right time to bring about a lifesaving tomb rescue.

“All around us are tombs of people who died five-thousand years ago, and then suddenly a loud sound attacks our ears from below the ground! You might guess where your wild thoughts might take you…we are all stunned.”

David Pearlman, archaeologist and tour guide

We approached the site in our 4×4 vehicle and then walked the last section up to the tombs. I noticed a large flock of sheep and goats milling around nearby, but I didn’t think too much about that. As I brought my Texas guests up to the rock outcrop, I explained burial practices and pointed out the shaft graves.

Suddenly, there was an unexpected interruption. We were stunned –shocked, really – to hear the loud noise, as if it was coming from underground. Definitely sub-terra. Consider the context and setting of this specific moment:

Here, we are standing on top of a prehistoric cemetery, a burial ground. All around us are tombs of people who died five thousand years ago. And then suddenly, a loud sound attacks our ears from below the ground! You might guess where your wild thoughts might take you before logic sets in and you realize it’s the sound of a living animal.

Trapped in a deep grave

We searched frantically for the noise source by checking inside each of the many dozens of holes. Then, three or four minutes later, there it was!

An adult sheep had fallen into one of the deeper graves. There was no way this animal could move in any direction. It could not escape the hole by itself as it was something like two metres below surface level – and beyond our reach. None of us possessed the physical resources to pull the sheep up and liberate the poor creature ourselves. I told my esteemed guests, Joe and Sally, that I knew they were paying top dollar for the day tour. But  I would forfeit all the money if necessary to get help to pull the poor bugger out. I thought I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I abandoned this sheep in the catacomb hole.

Of course, Joe and Sally were 100% on board and felt just as strongly about mounting a rescue mission. In complete agreement, we abandoned our tour and returned to Kouklia Village to seek help. The first stop was the local museum, but unfortunately, they could not give immediate assistance, so we moved on.

Then we went to a nearby police station, but our pleas for help were met with expressions of indifference. Nobody seemed interested in getting involved. I thought: Where is the love? Is there no heart left in a place that overlies the Sanctuary of Aphrodite, the ancient Goddess of Love?

Seeking the owner

However, I was wrong:  There is heart and compassion in Kouklia Village, and we soon found it along one of the side streets. I remembered the name of a sheep/goat farmer – a really nice guy named Aspris – who grazed most of his animals in the abandoned Souskiou Village near the necropolis where the sheep was stuck. It was a start, but I was not 100% sure the trapped sheep was his. I drove through the village to find somebody to point us to Aspris’s house.

Along the way, I found a pick-up truck with a driver inside, window open, chatting with another villager. On the side door of the pick-up was the logo and lettering of the Village Council of Kouklia. Bingo! The driver was a bearded fellow in his late 20s, maybe early 30s. We showed him the photos of the trapped sheep that Sally had taken on her phone.

Mid-way through the conversation, he interrupted me, asking: “Hey, Aren’t you David, the archaeologist?” I said: “Yeah, that’s right, but how do you know me?” He explained that his name was Spyros Petridesand. When he was a young kid, he and his mates used to hang out at the village Demotic School, where we archaeologists were staying. We played football together back in the old days. I had no memory of this but pretended to remember: “Oh, yeah, of course, Spyros. I remember you now.”

Organised a rescue party

Spyros took total control of the tomb rescue situation. He organised a rescue party. He told me to wait five minutes and then he would come back and follow us to the necropolis site. Spyros went into his office first and produced a few bottles of cold water, which he offered us as refreshments. Village visitorts and guests were , treated as royalty, were always offered philoxenia (“hospitality”) in Kouklia Village,

Our new animal rescue leader disappeared for maybe four minutes whilst we drank the cold water. (It was a hot day, and we were indeed thirsty). He reappeared with two of his pals, one carrying a rope. As promised, he followed us as we returned to the necropolis site.

We all expected that when we relocated the trapped sheep, one of these muscular guys would climb down and attach the rope to the trapped animal. However, as soon as we arrived at the outcrop and found the sheep stuck in the hole, the rope became irrelevant. We all marvelled at one of Spyros’s mates, a giant of a guy named Yiorkis with massive forearms. He just bent down (exposing his massive “cheeks” and “crack” in the process) And grabbed the sheep by its fleece – the way you pick up a cat by its neck — and yanked the poor animal out of the hole!

Mission accomplished! We all gave the Spyros-Yiorkis team rousing applause as we watched the now-free sheep hightail it down the dirt track to join the rest of his flock. Great story, all true! Another good day chalked up.

UPDATE

“Looking back on it, I recognize it was an entirely accidental and spontaneous experience. It worked well for the unfortunate sheep that fell into the tomb that day. It was just chance that brought us to the site that day. I also see how fantastic and empathetic the Cypriot people, generally, and the inhabitants of Kouklia Village specifically, can be, even in these modern times. Spyros and his assistant Yiorkis showed great determination and genuine compassion to help a fellow living creature of this Earth get out of a bad situation that day. To everyone who witnessed the above events, these two gentlemen stand out as true Cypriot heroes.” SOURCE: David Pearlman, author.

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