E I Peltenburg, 2009
The Lemba Archaeological Project, Cyprus of the University of Edinburgh investigates the prehistory of western Cyprus by multi-site excavations and survey. Kissonerga-Mylouthkia is one of the three Lemba cluster sites that constitute the core of its excavation research in the Ktima Lowlands, some 5 km north of the modern city of Paphos. The other two sites, Lemba-Lakkous and Kissonerga-Mosphilia are published elsewhere. Results from Mylouthkia are available in book form or as a download.
Kissonerga-Mylouthkia yielded evidence for four periods of occupation: Cypro-PPNB Period 1A-B: c. 7000-8300 cal BC, Early-Middle Chalcolithic Period 2-3: c. 3400-3500 cal BC, and ephemeral Late Period with mainly superficial material of the Bronze Age-Medieval range. Periods 1 and 2 provide important new information regarding spread of the Neolithic, a major chronological extension of Cypriot prehistory and long term settlement patterns on the island.
This archive concerns results from the first three phases of our work outlined in the Overview; the 4th will be reported separately in due course.
Our researches benefited enormously throughout the extended work at the site from the unfailing support and assistance of the directors of the Cyprus Department of Antiquities and their staff, especially those of the Paphos Museum. Dr S. Hadjisavvas, past Director and discoverer of Mylouthkia, has been especially helpful in allowing us to study his surveyed material in advance of our own fieldwork at the site and the publication of his own discovery. Both he and previous Director, Dr. Pavlos Flourentzos, have supported our more recent negotiations with developers. The Ministry of Education kindly allowed us the use of the Kissonerga Elementary School in the first phase of our work. We are also most grateful to the mayors and villagers of Kissonerga and Lemba who were always unstinting in their help and hospitality.