past horizons36 While non- intrusive means of investigation are by their nature limited, the results of this pilot season have produced ample evidence that there is likely to be a sequence through multiple periods, including Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Philia, Early Bronze Age, Middle Bronze Age, and a substantial Mediaeval settlement, with additional Geometric/ Archaic, Hellenistic/ Roman and more modern uses of the land. Conspicuously absent from the material record is any evidence of a Late Bronze Age settlement that would have been contemporary with the early Sanctuary of Aphrodite and the rise of an urban Paphos. Ancestors of Urbanism Large quantities of Chalcolithic and Bronze Age pottery were recovered in nearly equal measures over much of the 10 hectares that the site occupies, indicating that Prastion- Mesorotsos ranks among the largest prehistoric sites in Cyprus. The fact that both Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age pottery, and possible transitional Philia period artefacts, occur in the same places indicates that this site was almost certainly inhabited during these periods. The fact that the Bronze Age inhabitants chose to live in the exact same spot as the ' previous' residents may indicate an indigenous development rather than influx of newcomers, even if their material culture changed radically over this time. The total absence of Late Bronze Age materials is unsurprising if one puts Prastion- Mesorotsos into the context of the rise of Paphos as an urban centre in this period. Perhaps with Paphos establishing itself as the dominant political and economic force in the region, there was a certain amount of appeal to moving out of the countryside and into the big city. At the same time, it would have been in the interests of the leaders of Paphos to control or eliminate a well- connected and substantial second- tier settlement like that at Prastion- Mesorotsos. Far from being negative information, the hiatus of settlement in the Late Bronze Age and subsequent reoccupation in later periods demonstrates that the appeal of this location did not vanish, but social and political circumstances in Paphos may have affected settlement patterns in its hinterland. As the Early and Middle Bronze Ages are represented across Prastion- Mesorotsos it is clear that an understanding of the social developments leading up to the consolidation of power in Paphos could be accessed through excavation. If we can illuminate the social developments that rose from prehistoric roots, we can then provide a context for the urbanisation we see at the end of this development. The 2008 team who put the first boots to ground in the sweltering July heat have shed light on the precursors to the remarkable social and religious developments that eventually led to the foundation of the cult of Aphrodite. With further archaeological investigation we may be able to piece together a fuller picture of the people who begat this myth. Ruinous walls of the Late Bronze Age Sanctuary of Aphrodite in Paphos ( credit: Lisa Kennan) Collecting artefacts and mapping the finds

37past horizons Geophysical anomalies confirm subsurface buildings, while the pottery establishes their date ! ! !! ! ! ! !! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! !! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!!!! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !! ! ! ! ! ! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Prastion- Mesorotsos08± 05101520Meters01230120123450! 1! 2! 3! 4! 5! 6! 7! 8! 9! 10- 1101234Nosofsherdspertransectsq. ChalcolithicPhiliaBronzeAgePostBronzeAgeMedieval Contact Information: Dr. Andrew P. McCarthy, University of Edinburgh A. P. McCarthy@ ed. ac. uk Information on future Prastion- Mesorotsos seasons at: http:// www. shc. ed. ac. uk/ archaeology/ events/ fieldwork/ 2008/ field_ school ? Acknowledgements This pilot season was made possible by generous funding from a Carnegie Trust Expedition Grant and a University of Edinburgh Moray Endowment Fund Grant. Sincerest thanks go to Dr. Pavlos Flourentzos, director of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus, for permission to conduct this first season of investigation. The Prastion- Mesorotos Archaeological Expedition is a University of Edinburgh and Lemba Archaeological Research Centre affiliated project. Geophysical analysis was conducted by John Hunt of Mediterranean Geophysics and GIS images were prepared by Ben Blakeman of Eachtra Archaeological Projects. Prastion- Mesorotsos 2008 Above: Panoramic view of the Dhiarizos Valley up to the Troodos mountains. Prastion- Mesorotsos is situated on the Valley floor, just right of centre. Number of sherds per transect square