CYPRUS

The Bronze Age Settlement of Erimi

A Middle Bronze Age fortified settlement

Hands-on archaeology in Cyprus

The Kouris Valley in southern Cyprus is best known today for the ancient settlement of Kourion, the associated Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates, and the stadium. However, settlement in this region began much earlier. The Copper Age, spanning the period from 4,000 to 2,500 BC, is named after the site of Erimi. The oldest traces of settlement in the Kouris Valley belong to this Erimi culture.

From the copper ages to modern day

Numerous limestone plateaus rise up along the Kouris, offering ideal conditions for both small and large settlements. Erimi-Laonon tou Porakou was first settled at the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age. Surrounded by a dry-stone wall, this site flourished until the transition to the Late Bronze Age. Vessels were deposited in the houses before they were set alight and abandoned – the destruction appears to have been deliberate. Later, plateaus further south in the Kouris Valley were settled, and the primary settlement was never revisited. This has been a stroke of luck for researchers, as the state of preservation of the former settlement is excellent.

Hands on archaeology in Cyprus: Upcoming events

Upcoming events 2026:

SAT t 1st - SAT 8th of August 2026 - fully booked

SAT 8th - SAT 15th of August 2026 - 3 spots left

Airport transfer (from Larnaca Airport) to our Hotel in Episkopi during the first and the last day of the event is included. The time of the return journey to Larnaca Airport on the day of departure depends on the earliest flight connection within our group.

Course fee per person:

up to max. 8 people € 1.490,-

NOT included in the fee:

Your personal flight to Cyprus (Larnaca Airport)
Accomodation: We will be staying in a small B&B in Episkopi (near Kourion). All rooms have AC. Antony's Garden House
The Price per week is € 553,- (including Breakfast or Lunch Package for the excavation).
The rooms are booked by us but will be paid individually on site.

The B&B is just a few minutes away from the excavation and very close to beautiful Kourion Beach.
Catering

Included in the programme:

A 6-day archaeological training programme, comprising:

5 days of participation in the excavation at Erimi (Mon–Fri)
Induction to the project and to excavations in general, as well as to various archaeological methods
Afternoon workshops in the excavation house
A full day’s excursion to sites in the surrounding area
Supervision by the on-site archaeologists
All necessary tools
Assistance with course preparation (travel, accommodation)
All local transport (also from/to Larnaca Airport)

Head of excavation:
University of Siena (Dr. Luca Bombardieri & Dr. Marialucia Amadio)

On-site supervisor:

Klaus Schindl, Erlebnis Archäologie

Please note:

This course is NOT a specialist programme for archaeology students, but is open to all volunteers. No prior knowledge is required.

Participants must be aged 18 or over.

Important: Excavation work begins at 6.00 am to avoid the high temperatures during the day. We excavate until lunchtime. After a break by the sea or in the hotel, there will be short workshops and seminars in the excavation house, as well as excursions. There will also be time for a visit to the beach occasionally.

zur Anmeldung

Further Information on the Project:

Kouris Rivery Valley Project

The Kouris River Valley Project (KVP) began in 2007 as a survey of the river valley between the modern reservoir and the town of Erimi. This led to the discovery of ten Bronze Age settlement sites, most of which are located on the east side of the river. Sites dating from the Hellenistic and Roman periods were mostly situated on the west side.

Excavations at Laonin tou Porakou began in 2009. Since then, three settlement areas have been identified: an economic zone with workshops at the highest point of the hill, settlement areas on the middle terraces, and several small burial grounds on the surrounding slopes. Research conducted to date at Erimi has yielded fundamental new insights into Cyprus’s Middle Bronze Age (MC I to MC III, c. 20th century to late 17th century BC). The exceptionally good state of preservation of the settlement site has provided important new insights into the chronology, material culture, technologies used, and basic subsistence of Bronze Age settlements such as Erimi.

The excavations in the domestic area have brought to light some unusual findings. The condition in which the buildings were left differs significantly from those abandoned as a result of destruction caused by fire or, for example, an earthquake. It appears to be a case of deliberate destruction, as very high temperatures were reached during the fire – a phenomenon that can only be explained by the deliberate addition of fuel – the fires did not spread to surrounding areas, and the fire was started from outside the building, as there were no traces of burning on the floor.

These and future findings from the excavations at Erimi contribute significantly to a better understanding of the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age. During this period, society underwent a shift from small settlements practising subsistence farming to larger urban centres with far-reaching political influence and decentralised supply systems – an essential step in the social evolution of Cyprus.

Literatur: L. Bombardieri, M. Amadio, Appetite for destruction: current interpretations of accidental or deliberate destructions in Bronze Age Cyprus. In: Documenta Praehistorica XLVIII (2021), 354-363