ARIEL · Archaeological Investigations of the Extra-Urban and Urban Landscape in Eastern Mediterranean centres: A case-study at Palaepaphos (Cyprus)

The research project ""ARIEL"" proposes the archaeological investigation of the urban and extra-urban landscape at Eastern Mediterranean centres during the Bronze Age (circa 2400-1050 BC), an area of key cultural significance in the context of the evolution of culture in Europe. The multi-period urban centre of Palaepaphos (ancient Paphos) on the south-western coast of Cyprus is deemed as a critical case-study for the application of the proposed archaeological research since, despite the richness in archaeological data, the site’s early history is poorly understood. In addition, the area’s cultural landscape is threatened by rapid modern development works.The research programme proposes the implementation of inter- and multidisciplinary approaches for the comprehensive and holistic understanding of vast archaeological areas. This methodology has been very sparsely applied in the archaeological research of the Mediterranean. Through the integration of advanced technological and scientific methods with traditional archaeological approaches, the project aims a comprehensive understanding of: 1) the foundation horizon and the process of urbanisation at the site of Palaepaphos, 2) the identification of the function and character of the different urban components (residential, sacred, industrial etc), and the definition of its extra-urban landscape, aiming to reconstruct the region’s economic history and political landscape, 3) the relationship of the polity of Palaepaphos to contemporary urban centres in Cyprus and its position in the Mediterranean network of trade