The Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works announces the end of the second period of the field survey carried out by the "Hala Sultan Tekke Hinterland Survey Project", under the direction of Professor Ralf Vandam, Dr Jan Coenaerts and Professor Karin Nys, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Since 2021, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel mission has been conducting a surface archaeological survey around the Late Bronze Age site at Dromolaxia-Vyzakia (known as "Hala Sultan Tekke"). The main objective of the survey is to place the settlement in its wider archaeological context and reconstruct the long-lasting settlement dynamics in the area. The first exploratory period of research focused on the Dromolaxia-Melissari area, south of 'Hala Sultan Tekke', and showed that the settlement of 'Hala Sultan Tekke' must have been larger and more decentralized than previously believed. The focus of the 2022 research period was to further investigate this picture by exploring the area north/northeast of Dromolaxia-Vyzakia. This area, known as Paliofikara, had never before been systematically investigated. After three weeks of surface survey during October-November 2022, two large and two small concentrations of archaeological material were identified in the Paliofikara area. Based on the dating of the finds, it appears that a more extensive pattern of use of the area was identified this year than last season. In particular, Late Bronze Age material was not the main find this year, as material from later phases (Iron Age, Cypriot-Archaic period, Hellenistic period, Roman period) was also found in large quantities. This suggests that the area of 'Hala Sultan Tekke' was not abandoned for a long period of time after the Late Bronze Age but there seems to have been a shift in human activity in the field around Aliki. Remarkably, one of the sites probably yielded material of a ritual nature, as several fragments of bull figurines, a head of a human figure and a trapezoidal seal were found on the surface. Given the existence of Iron Age shrines around Aliki, it is not unlikely that a sanctuary also existed at Paliofikara. However, more research is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Image: Head of a clay anthropomorphic figurine, of the Cypro-Archaic period.
24/2/2023
(MH/SX)
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