Archaeologists have uncovered the first confirmed Late Bronze Age fortifications at the ancient city of Palaepaphos (Greek: Παλαίπαφος) in Cyprus. The discovery provides new evidence that the settlement had a major defensive system more than 3,000 years ago. Researchers identified a defensive wall and a tower that ancient builders expanded over several periods. The findings help establish when the fortifications were first built and how they changed over time.
A team from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens discovered them during excavations at Marchello, near the modern village of Kouklia. Professor Konstantinos Kopanias directed the work in August and September 2026.
Pottery reveals age of ancient Cyprus fortifications
The Marchello site lies less than one kilometer (0.6 miles) northeast of the Sanctuary of Aphrodite, an important religious center in ancient Cyprus. Earlier excavations by British, German-Swiss, and University of Cyprus teams had uncovered a large defensive wall, a monumental gateway, and other structures. Previous archaeological work at Marchello also revealed an ancient inscription. However, researchers could not establish when the earliest defenses were built.
Archaeologists have uncovered 3,000-year-old Bronze Age fortifications in Cyprus, including a massive defensive tower built in stages. The discovery reveals how an ancient city strengthened its defenses over centuries. pic.twitter.com/ILhTakJKZz
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) October 23, 2026
The latest excavations provide stronger evidence that the original wall dates to the Late Cypriot IIC–IIIA period, near the end of the Bronze Age. Archaeologists discovered pottery from this period in an undisturbed deposit beside a newly exposed section of the wall.
They also identified marl, a clay-rich material used to create a level surface above stone foundations for mudbrick construction. The pottery and construction remains helped researchers date the wall’s earliest identified building phase.
Defensive tower reveals centuries of construction
The excavations also revealed how a rectangular defensive structure developed into a larger tower during the Late Bronze Age. Originally extending from the main wall, the structure was later expanded with a three-sided addition. The completed tower measured approximately 7.4 by 7.3 meters (24.28 by 23.95 feet) and contained an interior chamber of about nine square meters. Its thick walls suggest it may have supported an upper structure, although only the foundations survive.
Builders later reinforced its northwestern side with a wall about 2.7 meters (8.85 feet) thick. Further changes followed in the fourth century B.C., when builders added another reinforcing wall along the tower’s northeastern and southeastern sides. Pottery found in its foundation trench helped date this construction. Other excavations at ancient Palaepaphos have also revealed extensive fortifications from the Cypro-Classical period.
Researchers identified evidence that the main defensive wall at Marchello was widened during a later phase. However, archaeologists have not established whether the fortifications remained in continuous use between the Bronze Age and the fourth century B.C. The team plans to examine the recovered material further to clarify the site’s construction history. After the 2026 excavation season, researchers covered the exposed remains with protective fabric to limit deterioration.
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