The Department of Antiquities of the Ministry of
Communications and Works, announces the completion of the first season of
archaeological investigation at the Tremithos valley under the direction of Dr
Sarah Stewart. The project, funded by Trend University, Canada, conducted a
pedestrian survey of sections of the valley.
The aim of the project is to
identify Neolithic use along the Tremithos River, by humans who sought to access
resources in the Troodos foothills, particularly the abundant and high quality
chert sources.
Dr Stewart has been involved during the previous years
in the Elaborating Early Neolithic Cyprus (EENC) project, which identified
numerous chert sources and stone tool scatters from the Analiondas region to
Alampra. One of the most important outcomes of that project was the excavation
of the early Neolithic site of Agia Varvara Asprokremmos, one of the earliest sites
of human settlement in Cyprus. Geo-chemical analyses indicate that there are
clear links between specific sources, scatters in the surveyed area and the
finds excavated at the site of Asprokremmos. It is investigated if the
Tremithos valley river system could have provided a plausible transportation
route from the sea to the Agia Varvara area during the earliest Neolithic
phases.
Numerous stone tool scatters from the Lympia dam to just
beyond the village of Agia Anna were located, including a large site near
Mosphiloti and a possible very early site located near Agia Anna. The latter
site has rendered stone tools and manufacturing debris similar to small sites
previously identified in the Agia Varvara area.
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18/6/2014
