Choirokitia Neolithic Settlement History – Part One:

Dating back 9000 years, this hill settlement has been populated whilst being protected by the gorge of the Maroni River . In addition to the natural protection that the environment offers, the settlement was also protected by a wall which remained in use even after the extension of the settlement to the west part of the hill.

The settlement (village) consists of houses typical for Neolithic times in . The main architectural type was a circular structure with a flat roof. Building materials used included local limestone of a light colour collected from the surrounding areas of the settlement. Dark stones were collected from the Maroni riverbed and also utilised. Raw bricks of earth and chaff (straw) dried under the hot sun during summer, were also an important part of the building process.

Each house/residence consisted of two or three circular building structures situated around an open yard area.

An impressive building structure dating from the period of the settlement was located in a westerly direction – the building IA. The outside diameter measures over 8 meters and the massive stone walls and support props were presumably constructed for bearing the weight of a second floor.