Excavations reveal rare feature in prehistoric Cyprus

The 2022 excavations at Chlorakas-Palloures which have been completed have yielded important information on the Chalcolithic period, between 3500 and 2500 BC in Cyprus, the Department of Antiquities of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works announced on Wednesday.

In a press release, the Department said that excavations were carried out under the direction of Dr. Bleda Düring, a Professor at Leiden University.

In particular, a building in an exceptional state of preservation was revealed, with walls standing up to one meter in height, a feature which is very rare in prehistoric Cyprus.

This building, the press release says, was destroyed by an intense fire as indicated by the thick ashy deposits and the number of complete vessels, querns and mortars that were found on the floor.

According to the Department of Antiquities, the state of preservation of the building and the deposits found on the floor give significant evidence that assists in the reconstruction of the buildings in which the people lived approximately 5000 years ago and inform us about the types of activities carried out there.

The press release adds that while the excavation was being carried out, the team of the Palloures project proceeded with the conservation and reconstruction of a large number of fragmented sherds and pots found in another burnt building that was excavated during the previous year.

Through this type of reconstruction, the shape, type and size of the vessels can be determined and moreover what type of liquid or food might have been stored in them.

A dedicated team has been patiently reconstructing these large storage vessels, which were transferred at the end of the season to the Archaeological Museum of Pafos District for safekeeping, the press release concludes.