The finds from the numerous cemeteries that have been excavated in the area, as well as the excavations in the city, indicate that Nea Pafos was a large urban centre with a vigorous financial and artistic life. In addition, written sources confirm the evidence derived from excavations in various parts of the district and indicate an increase in both the number of settlements and the population in the wider area at this time.

By the middle of the 1st century BC, Cyprus was annexed by Rome and in spite of the heavy taxation that was imposed, a long period of peace followed, which provided the opportunity for development. Nea Pafos continued to be a prosperous city, the capital of the island and the seat of the Roman Proconsul who represented the Roman administration. The city was favoured by the emperors and despite the substantial destruction caused by earthquakes, public buildings were rebuilt and the city was constantly embellished. The theatre was one of the most important buildings of the city, renovated by the emperors, while amongst the important public buildings that have come to light, are the Agora and the Odeon. Pafos also evolved into a major medical centre in this period, as attested by the worship of Asklepios and some of the most important finds unearthed in Pafos, namely a series of medical instruments and hot water bottles.

At the same time, large private residences with rich decoration, mosaic floors, wall-paintings and other luxurious works of art such as marble statues, witness the welfare of its residents, which depended largely on commercial enterprise. The funery architecture continued in the style of the Hellenistic period but now there are monumental built tombs with painted decoration. Imported marble sarcophagi were used in certain rich tombs. The worship of Aphrodite continued in this period and the importance of her sanctuary in Palaipafos during the Roman period is confirmed by the reconstruction of the sanctuary during the 1st and 2nd century AD, as well as the plethora of votive offerings. Amongst them are imperial inscriptions that prove the great interest of the Romans in the cult.

Having read all that, the remaining shots will make a bit more sense. There are several examples of decorations and coffins that will have been found in tombs. I often wonder what the official line is with regards to human remains though. When does it become socially acceptable to dig up somebody's remains and put them on display?

I thought I would ask one of these AI doohickeys for their opinion. It kept waffling on and on, so I asked it to provide a one-paragraph summary:

In my opinion, the social acceptability of excavating graves and displaying human remains largely depends on factors like elapsed time, cultural context, educational value, and consent, with ancient examples like Egyptian mummies or Roman tombs generally deemed okay because they've become impersonal historical artifacts that educate on past civilizations without offending living descendants, often aligning with original preservation intents and involving stakeholder consultations for respect. However, for recent figures like Winston Churchill, such actions would be unacceptable due to proximity in time, emotional ties, and lack of explicit permission, crossing into exploitation rather than heritage preservation, as seen in ethical shifts toward repatriation and alternatives like replicas in museums. Ultimately, the threshold lies where individual dignity yields to collective knowledge, but this evolves with societal norms.

Talk about sitting on the fence...

There is also a selection of assorted medical items on display. These always make me a bit uneasy, especially if it is related to dentistry.