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Archaeological investigations in the Peristerona River valley have identified evidence of an Iron Age sanctuary and a settlement linked to copper production, offering new insight into the area's history during antiquity.
The latest field season of the international Life at the Furnace (LAF) project was completed on September 23, 2026, following research led by the University of Copenhagen and Uppsala University, in collaboration with the Cyprus Institute.
The project is co-directed by Dr Kristina Winther-Jacobsen of the University of Copenhagen and Dr Angus Graham of Uppsala University. According to the Department of Antiquities, its research examines how copper production under Roman rule influenced human settlement patterns, social organisation and the natural environment in the north-western foothills of the Troodos mountains.
The investigation centres on the Peristerona River valley and the ancient copper-production landscape surrounding the Agia Marina Xyliatou-Mavrovouni slagheap, which extends across the areas of Orounta, Kato Moni and Agia Marina Xyliatou. Research also covers the surrounding areas of Xyliatos and Nikitari.
Findings from the 2025 field season indicated that a sanctuary dating to the Iron Age once occupied the area north of Agia Marina Xyliatou. Archaeologists identified fragments of terracotta figurines depicting horses, a bull and human figures, alongside a mould-made figurine of Astarte, providing evidence of religious activity at the site.
The sanctuary was subsequently replaced by a settlement during the Hellenistic period, which remained active into the Roman era. Traces of copper slag discovered at the location suggest that the settlement was involved in metal production.
Excavations at the nearby Agia Marina Xyliatou-Mavrovouni site have also revealed an elaborate water-management network spread across three artificial terraces. The installations include basins, cisterns and plaster-lined hydraulic structures. Dating evidence from material recovered during the excavations places much of their use between the Late Hellenistic and Middle Roman periods.
Researchers are continuing to investigate how the water installations were connected to the site's copper-smelting activities.
The archaeological work has also included geophysical surveys led by Dr Apostolos Sarris of the University of Cyprus, aimed at identifying buried structures. Additional stratigraphic documentation and micromorphological sampling, coordinated by Dr Myrsini Gkouma, are helping researchers reconstruct historical land use and environmental conditions in the valley.
The findings contribute to the understanding of how copper production shaped communities and landscapes in Cyprus during antiquity.
The Life at the Furnace project receives financial support from the Carlsberg Foundation and the Enboms Foundation.
With information from Department of Antiquities & Deputy Ministry of Culture.
