These two-volume Proceedings comprise the papers and posters presented during the International Conference of the Association Internationale pour l’Étude de la Mosaïque Antique (AIEMA), held in Nicosia, 15-19 October 2018, under the auspices of the Archaeological Research Unit of the University of Cyprus. The Conference, the 14th in line, was the largest of all the AIEMA conferences, and gathered together mosaic specialists from numerous countries, including Algeria, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of North Macedonia, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, the UK, and the USA. The conference gave the opportunity for scholars to converse on different aspects relating to the study and understanding of mosaics, and provided the chance to visit and discuss the well-known mosaics of the island, as well as newly-discovered pavements, which are not yet open to visitors.
The Proceedings comprise 84 articles, some of which are the product of collaborative work, resulting in a total of 117 authors. The articles cover a wide range of themes related to mosaic studies, with a strong emphasis on iconography and the re-examination of already-known mosaics. There are also numerous articles dealing with the presentation and discussion of new discoveries, and, in some cases, with the measures taken for their protection.
The Nicosia Proceedings continue the tradition set by the previous AIEMA conferences (Paris 1963; Vienne 1971; Ravenna 1980; Trier 1984; Bath 1987; Palencia-Mérida 1990, Tunis 1994, Lausanne 1997, Rome 2001, Conimbriga 2005, Bursa 2009, Venice 2012, and Madrid 2015), offering the reader articles relating to the latest developments in the field of mosaic studies, and presenting new discoveries for the first time.