Prastio Mesorotsos Archaeological Expedition

08/08/2025

Well, 2025 was our final fieldwork season of the Prastio Mesorotsos Archaeological Expedition.

Little did we know in 2008 that our survey of a "Chalcolithic into Bronze Age" site would produce a wonderful example of a 10,000 year old village! It has certainly been a learning experience and in our 16 seasons over 200 students, volunteers, supervisors, specialists and friends from over 30 countries, have contributed their time, energy and skills to this amazing site.

Careers, friendships, marriages and families have been made. We couldn't be happier with this wonderful site and our friends who have all contributed. Now comes the hard work - publication! Look out for lots of articles coming soon and hopefully a full site report in the not too distant future.

We certainly hope to return to Prastio again, but now our main questions have been answered, it's time to bring it all together.

Heartfelt thanks to all of you who have contributed over the years, Firstly to the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus for allowing us this privilege, to the Kouklia and Paphos Museum and the Edgar Peltenburg Archaeological Centre at Lemba. To the diggers and shovelers, the planners and surveyors, the seeders, potters, bo**rs and stoners. The restaurant owners, the cooks, the servers, the drivers, the visitors, the curious and ALL who contributed. We absolutely could not have done it without you!

Andrew and Lisa

06/08/2025

We've had a wonderful 2025 season with a fantastic group of students. No excavation again this year, but some tidying on site, artefact recording and drawing some of our special finds in the Sanctuary of Aphrodite (lots of memories of when we had the privilege of staying there...). And, of course, another successful cooking experiment and lots of sightseeing!

31/07/2025

This year we've focused on experimental archaeology again and our students have recreated a Neolithic oven replicating one we excavated. Unlike our experiments on the enormous pit oven, this one seems purely domestic. Thanks to our dear friends at 7 St George's Tavern for the excellent advice and allowing us the space to conduct the experiment and of course taste the fruits of our labors. Much fun and illumination was had by all!

09/11/2024

Representing Neolithic Prastio at the World Neolithic Congress in Sanliurfa this week. Also got the opportunity to see some of the most amazing Neolithic sites in the world at Gobleki Tepe and Karahan Tepe.

15/10/2024

Representing at the CSN Education abroad fair today.

09/08/2024

As well as showing the areas of excavation this year, these drone shots really illustrates the beauty of the Dhiarizos Valley in the early morning. We are so lucky to be working in such a place!
Drone operation and imaging by Thomas Muir.

29/07/2024

Final week of artefact studies and we're getting into some real analysis now, including ceramics, stone tools, bone and ecofacts, followed by a well deserved long weekend to relax before heavy excavation work this week!

21/07/2024

Time for a site visit this week, removed backfill and the trenches are looking great! Also found an amazing new spot for our weekly bbq at Makounta Beach and rounded off the week at the wedding of the daughter of our friends at Moustakallis Tavern. A wonderful experience of real Cypriot hospitality for the team!

15/07/2024

Our first week of our artefact field school is underway with classes in stone tools and ceramics. We also had time for some site visits to our friends at Chlorakas and Skalia, some lovely dinners at Moustakallis restaurant and a refreshing jump off the Limni pier.

08/02/2024

PM 24 is on! We are still in the process of organising logistics but we will definitely be back in Cyprus this summer. This year we will be focusing on artefact analysis offering in-depth classes, while still continuing with excavations and surveying. Watch this space for more details soon.

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27/08/2023

Group photos from PM 2023. Couldn't have asked for a better team to wrap up 15 years of excavation.

22/08/2023

A few shots from the last week of excavation.