To the south-east of the village of Alambra, a series of archeological excavations have brought to light a settlement as well as a burial site dating from the Middle Bronze Age.
To be specific, the Cornell University Archeological Mission conducted systematic excavations in the settlement under the supervision of John Coleman between 1976 and 1982.
The Great Cyprus Encyclopedia, mentions that the settlement consists of “a large complex of houses divided into three or four rooms with well preserved walls of rough stone, occasionally up to a height of 2 meters”.
Most houses are in continuous rows with common walls but differ in detail. Karouzis, remarks that “the house which were protected from winds had a perpendicular or linear position in relation to the height of the hill and were built with local stones, limestone or flint”.
The settlement ,as excavations and soli strata data revealed ,was finally abandoned in 1800 BC after a total destruction.
At a distance of about 150 meters from the settlement ,its burial site was excavated. The first excavations were conducted, according to Karouzis, by the notorious ambassador-cum –tomb robber Luigi Palma de Cessnola between 1868 and 1874.
Cessnola mentions that he excavated no less than 82 tombs and most of its numerous finds were sold to museums abroad such as The Metropolitan Museum in New York.
The Great Cyprus Encyclopedia mentions that among the finds of the single-chambered hewn tombs there were “handmade vessels with painted black decoration of geometrical motifs on white surface “as well as red polished vessels“, with inscribed linear decoration, of the transitional period from the Early to the Middle Bronze Age .
Among the noteworthy findings discovered in the burial site, there are copper swords and daggers, fragments of clay idols, stone axes, clay spindle heads and clay discs.
District: Lefkosia
Address: Alambra, 2563 Lefkosia
Administration: Antiquities Department –Republic of Cyprus
Opening Hours: It is not an organized archeological site It can be visited at any time.
Open: All round the year
Facilities: The site is not accessible for wheelchairs (accessible to cars though). There are no toilets. There is a parking place but no road sign for it. More information at the Alambra Municipal Council.
Telephone/Fax:00357-22522457 / 00357-22526482
No entrance fee
Courtesy of the CTO
