The mosaics of the early Christian basilicas on the Island of Kos

The systematic study of the mosaic pavements in Kos allows us to recreate the decorative system of the mosaics, to enrich our knowledge of the decorative repertoire of the mosaics of Kos in Early Chrsitian times, and to formulate theories on the island’s workshops and on the clients and patrons characteristics. The wealth and number of the basilicas of the island, their connections to the coastal settlements, and the diffusion of settlements in all of the Dodecanese area between the 5th and 6th centuries have all to be viewed in the general economic development due to the regional and interregional trade, which involved Constantinople, Asia Minor, the East and North Africa for the supply and sale of raw materials. (Excerpt from the author’s abstract.)