Talking Hands — Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert

Talking Hands (2022-2024)

A collaborative project with: Elisavet Stefani, Polina Nikolaou & Michael Given

Photographs by Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert (2022-2024)

Archival photographs in slide show from the personal archives of Eleni Christou, Socrates Savva, Maroulla Triantafilidou, Maria Alexandrou, Demosthenis Theodorou, Katina Tyllirou, Chrystalla Evangelou, Anna Konstantinou and Irene Kontou and Thessalia Onoufriou Kyriakou.

Project Description

“Talking Hands” examines the experiences and stories of residents of Episkopi village in Cyprus whose lives were interwoven with archaeological work. Even though Episkopi residents were involved in archaeological excavations conducted by Cypriot and foreign missions since the beginnings of Cypriot archaeology in the 19th century, their thoughts and experiences have been omitted from official archaeological narratives. They usually remain unnamed and their work unacknowledged. Especially during colonial times, archaeological workers were considered the “hands” of archaeology; mindless manual workers not important enough to mention or document.

To give voice to the “hands” of archaeology we decided to conduct an oral history and photography project titled “Talking Hands”. Since the stories of workers cannot be found in archaeological records and publications, we needed to talk directly to people who were involved in archaeological excavations or knew people who were. In 2022 and 2023, we talked to eleven participants, between the ages of 65 and 87, who were recruited through word of mouth. Most of our participants worked at archaeological excavations as seasonal workers, supporting staff for various expeditions, guards, or specialized technicians.

After the interviews, I took photographs of the participants, which document the people as they appear today, the space, and the archaeological artefacts that are the most important to them. To get a glimpse of the past, we also asked participants to find and show us photographs they had at home related to archaeology. These personal photographs often served as a starting point for discussions and stories. But most importantly, they provide an “alternative” archaeology-related archive to those found in museums and other collecting institutions. The personal photographs focus on people, relationships, and places.

Participants: Eleni Christou, Socrates Savva, Thessalia (Sally) Onoufriou Kyriakou, Maroulla Triantafilidou, Antonis Polycarpou, Maria Alexandrou, Demosthenis (Dimos) Theodorou, Katina Tyllirou, Chrystalla Evangelou, Anna Konstantinou, and Irene Kontou.

The project received support from: the Cyprus University of Technology, the CYENS Centre of Excellence, and the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus.