Cyprus’ Department of Antiquities announced that recent excavations at the site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, made significant strides in understanding the Bronze Age settlement.
The site is located on a rocky plateau, and lies about 10 kilometers (6 mi) east of Larnaca, ancient Kition, and some 20 kilometers (12.5 mi) southwest of Enkomi, two major Bronze Age centers of the 13th-12th BC, the period known as Late Cypriot IIC and IIIA.
Pyla-Kokkinokremos was established at a time when the Late Bronze Age collapse reached its zenith, just a few decades prior to its eventual seemingly premeditated abandonment. Since the settlement was never reoccupied and has a lifespan of less than fifty years, it has become a very valuable “time capsule” of this era.
From March 27th to April 23rd, an international team led by Professor Joachim Bretschneider of Ghent University, in close collaboration with Professor Sorin Hermon from The Cyprus Institute and Dr. Reinhard Jung from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, conducted the latest round of excavations.
The works concentrated on two key areas on the eastern plateau: Sector 5 and Sector 7. Both sectors yielded crucial insights into the architectural layout, material culture, and daily routines of a community thriving during the final stages of the Late Bronze Age in the strategically vital Eastern Mediterranean.
Cyprus’ Bronze Age settlement had a dense domestic hub
In Sector 5, archaeologists unearthed a new cluster of interconnected rooms, hinting at a densely organized living space near the plateau’s edge. Excavations revealed rooms featuring diverse floor types—from bedrock-cut to beaten earth and calcareous surfaces—alongside an array of pottery. Notable finds included a fragmentary pithos (large storage jar), a Canaanite jar (suggesting trade connections), and exquisite decorated fine wares. A potential hearth installation points to domestic activities.
Perhaps the most intriguing discovery in Sector 5 was a one-meter-high pedestal-shaped stand, found broken into three fitting pieces within space 5.61. Its distinct bowl-shaped top suggests a possible cultic or ritual function, offering a rare glimpse into the spiritual life of the ancient inhabitants.
In contrast to Sector 5’s compact layout, Sector 7 presented more open, freestanding architecture, illuminating new facets of domestic life, craftsmanship, and potentially, maritime trade. The largest complex comprised ten interconnected spaces arranged across natural bedrock terraces.
A remarkable assemblage of artifacts was found
Among the artifacts unearthed at the site were:
- nine ceramic vessels, including fine Base Ring ware, utilitarian Plain ware, a decorated krater, and additional Canaanite jars, further underscoring trade links
- stone tools and fragments of stone basins
- loom weights, some still in an unfinished state, alongside a spindle whorl, strongly indicating textile production
- over twenty perforated pebbles, meticulously aligned along a wall, believed to be components of a fishing net
- a bronze fishing hook found in the same space, powerfully supporting the interpretation of the area as a multifunctional workspace and hinting at a blend of both textile- and maritime-related activities
- revealed walls without clear flooring elsewhere in Sector 7, suggestive of possible foundation remains, terrace walls, or evidence of ancient demolition.
- a three-room structure, though eroded, that maintained well-preserved architectural outlines
Broadening the understanding of a dynamic settlement
The 2025 campaign at Pyla-Kokkinokremos provided an abundance of new data. Sector 5 helped define the site’s dense, compartmentalized construction at the plateau’s edge, while Sector 7 showcased more varied and open patterns of occupation. Both sectors delivered compelling evidence for sophisticated domestic life and diverse economic activities. The material culture recovered strongly indicates a community engaged in both local production and extensive wider trade networks across the Eastern Mediterranean.
These collective findings significantly deepen our understanding of Pyla-Kokkinokremos as a complex and dynamic settlement during a critical juncture of ancient history.
Further in-depth analysis of the recovered artifacts and future excavation campaigns are eagerly anticipated to refine these interpretations and contribute invaluable insights to the broader study of Late Bronze Age Cyprus.
Related: Copper Made Bronze Age Cyprus an Important Trade Hub
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