The archaeological community is mourning the loss of Professor Ian A. Todd, one of the most influential foreign archaeologists to dedicate his career to the study of Cyprus’ prehistoric past.
Todd died on 4 August, according to an announcement by the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI).
Tributes have also been paid by the Association of Cypriot Archaeologists, colleagues and former collaborators, who praised his lasting contribution to the understanding of the island’s prehistory through decades of research and excavation.
Four decades of research in Cyprus
Born in the United Kingdom, Todd studied archaeology at the University of Birmingham, where he completed both his undergraduate and doctoral studies.
His early fieldwork took him to important Neolithic sites in Turkey, Iran and Jordan before he became closely associated with Cyprus through excavations at the prehistoric settlement of Vrysi near Agios Epiktitos.
In 1969, he joined the faculty of Brandeis University in the United States while continuing the research in Cyprus that would define his academic career.
Landmark discoveries in the Vasilikos Valley
In 1976, Todd became director of the Vasilikos Valley Project, one of the most ambitious archaeological programmes ever undertaken in Cyprus.
Rather than focusing on a single excavation site, the project examined the entire Vasilikos Valley through excavations, field surveys, geology, environmental studies and landscape analysis. The interdisciplinary approach was considered pioneering and later influenced archaeological research across the eastern Mediterranean.
Todd became particularly associated with the Neolithic settlement of Kalavasos-Tenta, where excavations uncovered circular houses, defensive structures, burials and other discoveries that reshaped scholars’ understanding of Cyprus’ earliest farming communities.
He also carried out important work at several other sites in the valley, including Chalcolithic Kalavasos-Agious and the Late Bronze Age settlement at Agios Dimitrios.
Lasting academic legacy
Todd’s scholarly output included numerous publications on the Vasilikos Valley Project and the excavations at Kalavasos-Tenta, which remain essential references for researchers studying prehistoric Cyprus.
Beyond his fieldwork, he served as director of CAARI during its early years, helping establish the institute as a centre for international archaeological collaboration on the island.
His influence also extended to teaching and mentoring generations of archaeologists while promoting research methods that continue to shape archaeological practice today.
In recognition of his achievements, the commemorative volume Prehistoric Anatolia and Cyprus: Studies in Honour of Ian A. Todd was published in 2025, featuring contributions from leading archaeologists from Europe, North America and Australia.
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