Wealth Inequality in a Late-Roman Neighborhood in Kourion, Cyprus: A Tale of Two Buildings

In the mid-4th century CE, Kourion experienced a series of earthquakes that leveled significant portions of the city. While areas of the city were rebuilt, most notably through the benefaction of prominent citizen Eustolius, other areas were permanently abandoned. These areas became dump sites for post-earthquake debris, preserving the destroyed buildings and their occupants' remains beneath layers of earthquake tumble and post-quake cleanup. Two buildings in a neighborhood southeast of the agora provide a window into residents' social and economic lives at the time of the earthquake. Using data collected during the Kourion Urban Space Project (KUSP) and University of Arizona excavations, this research compares decorative elements and room assemblages to assess wealth disparities between Building 4 and the Earthquake House, two buildings from the same neighborhood within the city of Kourion.