Arediou-Vouppes (Lithosouros) A Late Bronze Age Farming Community on Cyprus: Louise Steel

Excavations 2005-2006

Excavation largely concentrated on Building 1, a large, “industrial”, complex. An outside south-facing portico provided a shady place for activities during the summer months and a sheltered area for the winter months. Inside the building we identitifed a large couprtyard and work area, associated with a couple of storerooms. An intriguing sunken room was partially excavated. Here we found several indications of specialised, non-industrial activities, including a high percentage of imported vessels and several wall bracket fragments. 

Amongst the finds found in Building 1 were several ground stone tools, including pestles, grinders, rubbers, a hammer stone, and a well-worn saddle quern, the latter found by the doorway in the portico area. several restorable Plain ware basins and jugs were found in the storerooms. Associated with the work area we found around 10kg copper slag and several copper/copper alloy trinkets. Another interesting object which was initially identified as a tethering stone, but is now believed to be a stone anchor or weight, was also found within the work area.

A second complex, has also been identified in Field 4. This consists of an open-ended building (9m in length), a courtyard and a small room containing a well (5.2m deep). Associated with the well is a small pebbled surface (possibly for standing containers on). A large saddle quern (c.90 kg) was found at a depth of 3.3m in the well. Other finds from the complex include a gaming stone and a foundation deposit of a Plain ware jug. A shallow sump-shaped pit was discovered at the southern end of the building, the purpose of which is still unclear, although its proximity to the well, suggests that it may have served to collect surface water, which in turn filtered through into the well. Interesting foundation details were also uncovered in sections of the building relating to the methods used for laying/shuttering locally made mortar. Work is currently in progress in conjunction with a Cypriot researcher into these techniques.

One of the more significant discoveries in 2006 (funded by West Wales 2000 Ltd.) was that of a tomb which had been looted in the Early Iron Age. Even though the main chamber had been densley packed with rubble, a multiple burial was unearthed on one side of the tomb floor. Grave goods included a rare round-based Black Slip jug, also a beautifully preserved bronze hook-tanged spear. Such items of military display are typical of LC I burials in the Tamassos-Poliko region. A later burial episode is represented by a complete Mycenaean stirrup jar. Alongside the grave goods on the chamber floor were human remains. Consisting mainly of longbones, mandibles and teeth, with no crania present; there were at least three individuals represented. Arrangements are being made for a comprehensive analysis of the bones including a current attempt to extract meaningful DNA from a sample of longbone.