New insights on the seascape and a possible lighthouse in Nea Paphos, Cyprus, during the Roman period

This study investigates the hypothesis that Nea Paphos, the Roman capital of Cyprus, had a highly accessible harbour because it was readily visible from the sea. For seafarers navigating without modern instruments, prominent landmarks and harbour infrastructure needed to be clearly visible and easily recognizable. Using viewshed analysis in QGIS, we assess the visibility of key natural and built features from a maritime perspective. Landmarks were selected based on their prominence and likelihood of being part of ancient sailors’ mental maps, while potential lighthouse locations were derived from existing literature, excavation results, and a comparative study of harbour infrastructure — such as lighthouses — in other Roman coastal cities. We model visibility from these landmarks and candidate lighthouse sites, and we estimate functional tower heights. The results provide new insights into the visibility of Roman Nea Paphos from the sea and suggest plausible lighthouse locations and heights within the ancient city.