The ship graffiti from Late Bronze Age–Early Iron Age Kition, Cyprus: new additions and reconsiderations 40 years later

This article presents a revised and expanded study of the ship graffiti from Kition Kathari in Larnaka Bay, Cyprus, first published forty years ago. High-resolution digital recording undertaken in 2024 revealed previously unrecognised graffiti and new details in known examples, particularly on the southern façade of Temple 1. Combining digital analysis, stratigraphic evidence, and iconographic comparison, the study reassesses both the chronology and morphology of the corpus. It argues that ship graffiti were carved at Kition continuously from the Late Bronze Age into the Early Iron Age, rather than belonging exclusively to the Late Bronze Age, and identifies connections with Levantine and Aegean shipbuilding traditions alongside local Cypriot features. The study also demonstrates the value of high-resolution 3D recording for documenting, analysing, and preserving increasingly eroded maritime imagery.