Kokkinokremos, Bronze Age archaeological site near Pyla village, Cyprus.
Kokkinokremos is a Late Bronze Age site on a rocky plateau near Pyla, stretching across seven hectares with the remains of dwellings and defensive walls. The excavations uncovered pottery and artifacts from multiple Mediterranean and Near Eastern cultures living or trading here.
Excavations began in 1952 under Porphyrios Dikaios and revealed that the site was occupied for a brief period during the Late Bronze Age. The settlement was short-lived, abandoned after less than 50 years despite its strategic position and external contacts.
Ceramics from Minoan, Canaanite, Mycenaean, Sardinian, Hittite, and Cypriot origins show that this settlement was deeply connected to distant trade networks. These objects reveal how much the inhabitants engaged with people from many different lands.
The site is open to visitors and managed by the Department of Antiquities, with more information available at the Larnaca Archaeological Museum. Wear sturdy shoes as the terrain is rocky with uneven paths, and bring water as there is little shade on the exposed plateau.
Two tablets inscribed with Cypro-Minoan script were discovered here, representing one of the earliest writing systems in the Mediterranean. These inscriptions offer rare evidence of how ancient Cypriots recorded information during the Bronze Age.
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