The Department of Antiquities has announced the completion of the 2025 excavation season at the newly identified site of Drouseia–Skloinikia in the northwest Akamas Peninsula.
The work, carried out in October under the direction of Dr. Theodora Moutsiou of the University of Cyprus and Dr. Christian Reepmeyer of the German Archaeological Institute, forms part of a broader project examining early prehistoric activity along the Akamas coast. Students from universities in Cyprus, Greece, Germany and Italy took part.
Nine trenches were opened this season, expanding on earlier geophysical surveys that revealed significant subsurface anomalies.
Excavations uncovered hundreds of stone tools, beads, shells, bone artefacts and an in‑situ knapping floor.
Preliminary analysis places the material in the Terminal Pleistocene to Early Holocene, roughly 12,000 to 8,000 years ago, supported by initial radiocarbon dates.
A brief underwater survey was also conducted to assess the potential for submerged prehistoric landscapes, given that sea levels were about 15 metres lower during the site’s occupation.
Researchers reported indications of a complex coastal environment warranting further investigation.
The department said the findings strengthen evidence that early Neolithic communities in Cyprus were more interconnected with the wider Eastern Mediterranean than previously thought.
A third field season is planned for September 2026.
