THE REMAINS of a large building complex covering some 200 square meters and dating from the Roman period were discovered during excavations at the site of Vlou, which is located 2.5km northeast of Anogyra village in the Limassol district.
According to an announcement from the Antiquities Department, the excavations, which have been completed, were conducted by the Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences under the direction of Dr VA Goroncharovskiy.
The announcement says it is probable the site was part of a rural sanctuary of Apollo dating from the 4th Century BC.
During previous field expeditions, two service rooms, a main room and courtyard on the central axis of construction were excavated. The 65-square-metre courtyard has now been uncovered entirely.
It has a two-level surface with a pavement made of cracked limestone slabs at the top part and the natural rock, which was levelled with clay in the lower part.
Large quantities of broken tiles were also found and one can assume the presence of covered canopies in the perimeter of the court yard.
A small staircase connects the two courtyard levels. To the east of the staircase a 1.8 metre limestone sarcophagus was found.
A cutting in the side of the sarcophagus indicated that it was used to drain water from the pavement after rainfall. In a corner above its base, there was a small hole with a stone stopper used for regulating the quantity of water.
Nearby a low, round, construction was found along with a limestone slab, which has radial-shaped breakages, as a result of an earthquake. Most likely, this construction was intended for the processing of grain.
Apart from the abundant ceramic material found in the area of the courtyard, a round limestone net weight was also found, as well as a bronze needle.
To the east of the courtyard another service room was found with a separate entrance in the southeast.
To the right of the entrance an oven and a small pit for ashes were uncovered.
It was interesting to note that food remains were practically absent, apart from four fragments of bone belonging to young cattle, the Antiquities Department said.
Some of the room’s walls were damaged as a result of a strong tremor and a large accumulation of fallen stones were found.
Source: Cyprus Mail [January 07, 2011]
