Abstract

This volume is the final report on the excavations conducted by the University of Nevada at Las Vegas at the early Neolithic site of Kritou Marottou Ais Giorkis in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains in western Cyprus. It consists of 19 chapters which variously discuss the site’s chronology, geoarchaeology and palaeoenvironment, excavated features and architecture, lithic finds, human remains and faunal and botanical data, including the results of residue and isotopic analyses of ground stone and plant and animal remains. It is now clear that the Neolithic of Cyprus is as old as that on the mainland. Important recent research, including that presented here, has revolutionised perspectives on the colonisation of the Mediterranean islands and helped to position Cyprus within the wider Near Eastern landscape, providing new insights into the capacity of early seafarers to colonise new territories and a broader context for the expansion of the Neolithic from its continental cores.