PUBLISHED 2013. Please visit the publication's webpage.
Aletri is located near the modem village of Ambelikou in the northwestern foothills of the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus. It lies close to Skouriotissa, one of the most extensive copper ore bodi es on the island. In 1942, Porphyrios Dikaios excavated here for the Department of Antiquities, following the discovery of pottery dating to c. 2000 BC in an ancient shaft during modem mining operations in the area. The site has been widely cited in the literature as having produced the oldest direct evidence for copper mining in Cyprus and for the recovery of copper ore, slag, a crucible, a casting mould and other items indicating on-site smelting and casting. Despite these very important finds, Dikaios published only short accounts of the site.
It now appears that there was a complex history of building and rebuilding at Ambelikou and that final abandonment involved a catastrophic event which left a large number of intact artefacts in situ. These include four dozen jugs of similar size and shape, which appear to derive from a pottery workshop. This would be the earliest such installation to be found in Cyprus. In order to ensure a high-level interpretation of the site, preparation of the final report will require detailed, fine-scale analysis of both the stratigraphy and the artefacts.
The publication project is directed by Dr. Jennifer Webb.