Erimi Pamboula Archaeological Programme, Cyprus

On July 30, 2025, the first excavation season at the Chalcolithic Settlement of Erimi Pamboula in Cyprus came to a close. Part of a research programme conducted by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the excavation revealed parts of two buildings, pottery, stone tools, and jewelry made of picrolite, offering fresh insights into life on the island during the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE.

The research programme is directed by Dr Giorgos Vavouranakis, Professor of Prehistoric Aegean at the Department of History and Archaeology, in collaboration with Dr Ioannis Voskos, Adjunct Professor at the School of Philosophy. The programme involves an international team of postdoctoral researchers, postgraduate, and undergraduate students from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Freie Universität Berlin, and the University of Strasbourg. It also includes archaeologists from Greece and Cyprus and collaborates with the local Department of Antiquities. Within the ongoing collaboration between the University of Athens and the Cyprus Institute, particularly with Associate Professor Evi Margaritis, a short-term Erasmus mobility programme was organized and integrated into the excavation.

The Erimi Pamboula research programme is funded by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation. It also has the support of the Embassy of Greece in Nicosia, the Community of Erimi, the Municipality of Kourion, the Holy Metropolis of Limassol, the Cyprus National Guard General Staff, and Eurotankdry SA.

The excavation at Erimi Pamboula marks the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens’ return to archaeological work in the region after more than three decades. In addition to its research objectives, the programme supports the University of Athens’ ongoing efforts to strengthen and build on its traditionally close ties with Cyprus.