A large central building and complex Middle Bronze Age chamber tombs were uncovered during this year’s archaeological excavations in Erimi, shedding new light on the settlement’s structure and burial practices.

The antiquities department said on Wednesday that excavations focused on the settlement and necropolis at the site.

At the top of a hill, archaeologists uncovered a large central building covering about 220 square metres, built with thick outer walls and accessed through a narrow passage.

Inside, a long rectangular room connects both the passage and a spacious courtyard, with doorways suggesting a slightly angled layout.

On either side of the courtyard, roofed spaces were found but remain unexplored. A large storage area filled with numerous pithoi (jars) and ceramic vessels was also discovered.

A major find was a large stone stepped threshold and terrace linked to a wall, indicating a northern gate that provided access to the settlement and likely connected to a path leading to the Kouris River.

This year’s work also explored a small part of the southern necropolis outside the walls. Two looted chamber tombs were carefully excavated, revealing a complex burial system with grave artefacts dating to the late Middle Bronze Age.

The excavations were conducted by a team of archaeologists, researchers and students from Italy and Cyprus under the direction of professor Luca Bombardier, from July 28 to August 22.