A complete floor surface has seen the light of day for the first time in 10,000 years following excavations at Ayia Varvara-Asprokremnos.
The investigations, conducted during October and No-vember 2012, were directed by Dr Carole McCartney on behalf of the University of Cyprus working in partnership with Cornell University and the University of Toronto, the Antiquities Department announced.
A rough bench runs along the circumference of the inte-rior wall and ash heaps and stone tools were found.
The artefacts found suggest the building was of a do-mestic nature.
A large carefully engraved teardrop-shaped picrolite pendant, representing a more developed form of orna-ment than those recovered previously, was also found.
Renewed excavation of part of the area uncovered a unique arrangement of chalk slabs encircling a large hearth-like setting of burnt stone.
This gives archaeologists important information regard-ing the activities conducted at the site, says the Antiqui-ties Department. Hundreds of ochre pigment nodules were found. Colours include red, yellow, orange, purple and grey ochre as well as bright green, terra verde. Such pigments are readily available only 1km away from the site in the village of Mathiati.