Larnaca - Choirokoitia Neolithic Settlement Khirokitía

Some 10.5mi/17km southwest of Larnaca are the remains of the Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia (about 6,800-5,250 B.C.), with the foundations of walls, circular hut bases and tombs.

Excavations here have brought to light one of the most important Neolithic cultures in the world, with a defensive wall, circular houses, tombs and many stone utensils.

The biggest house on the site is called Tholos I and is part of a complex of buildings that must have belonged to the most important family. Each hut had a flattened earth floor, raised platforms at the edges for sleeping, some sort of fireplace and a central pole to support the roof. The houses were built close together and linked by narrow passageways across the hillside.

The site has four areas. One enters through some modern steps to the main street, which is still visible today. In this area are significant remains of the beehive-shaped houses and in the middle is a larger house, up to 9 meters in diameter.