An Aceramic metropolis
On a hill slope in the Maroni River valley, about 6 km from the southern coast of Cyprus, lies the settlement of Khirokitia. Occupied from the 7th to the 5th millennium BCE, it represents the Aceramic Neolithic period—a time before the use of pottery. The village covers about 3 hectares and represents one of the earliest successful settlements by farmers who arrived from the Near East. The population is estimated to have been between 300 and 600 people, living in a dense cluster of circular buildings.
The structures, called tholoi, are circular, with external diameters ranging from 2.3 to 9.2 meters. Their lower foundations are made of limestone cobbles, and the upper portions were built with mudbrick and pisé, or rammed earth. Contrary to early theories of domed roofs, evidence suggests the huts had flat roofs made of branches and reeds, sealed with a thick layer of clay. Internally, the spaces were divided by low walls and platforms for sleeping, storage, or work, and often contained hearths. A formidable stone wall, 2.5 meters thick and up to 3 meters high, protected the village, with complex gates controlling access.