PAPHOS REGION, CYPRUS—According to a report in the Cyprus Mail, archaeologists working at the site of Kretou Marottou-Ais Yiorkis have uncovered an early Neolithic grave that may be the one of the earliest human burials on the island. The adult male was found along with a large assemblage of chipped stones and animal bones including deer and pig. The team also discovered cattle bones, the earliest such examples to be recorded on Cyprus. The researchers say that the grave is “especially significant” not only for its human skeletal contents, which are extremely rare for this period, but also for its location in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains. Most Neolithic sites in Cyprus are found near the coast. “Kretou Marottou-Ais Yiorkis continues to be an important site for better understanding the early colonization of Cyprus,” reads a statement from the Cypriot Department of Antiquities.
