4,000-year-old temple ruins found on Cyprus. They’re oldest sacred space on the island
The ruins of a 4,000-year-old temple — filled with mysterious artifacts — were recently unearthed in Cyprus.
Located in Erimi, a village near the southern coast, the ruins constitute the oldest sacred building ever found on the island.
They were discovered during an excavation of a larger complex carried out by researchers from the University of Siena in Italy, according to a July 8 university news release.
The complex — which includes residential units, workshops, a burial site and a terrace — was occupied by a community of artisans around 2000 to 1600 B.C.
Found at the western side of the site, the temple ruins made up a small rectangular room, researchers said.
In the middle of the room researchers located the crumbled remains of a peculiar stone monolith, which would have stood at about eight feet tall. Completely smooth, it had a circular motif at its center.
The shattered remnants of an amphora — an ancient vessel — and a hearth were also found near the center of the room.
The layout would have allowed people to circulate around the central artifacts, researchers said.
The space appears to have been of particular ideological and symbolic significance to the community dwelling at the complex.
The settlement, known for producing red fabrics, was abandoned and preserved for thousands of years after a fire, according to Arkeonews, an archaeology news site.
Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the University of Siena.