VAPHEIO

also spelled Vaphio, ancient site in Laconia, Greece, on the right bank of the Eurotas River, five miles south of Sparta; the site is known for its tholos tomb, excavated in 1888. The tomb, which probably belonged to Pharis, contained artifacts typical of the Late Minoan period, c. 1500 BC. Most notable is a pair of gold cups that were probably manufactured in Crete in the late 16th or early 15th century BC. One cup depicts bull hunting, and the other bears a pastoral cattle scene.