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On 7th of May 2024, I received an email from ASOR telling me that I had been awarded a scholarship to excavate at the site of Kissonerga-Skalia, in Cyprus. This email gave a whole new perspective on what my summer was going to be.

The dig lasted a month, under the Mediterranean sun, with the island’s humidity, and with a light breeze during the afternoons. I was surrounded by this amazing scenery of the Troodos mountains, the blue waters of the sea, and so many archaeological sites to visit.

I have always been curious to understand what Cyprus was like during Antiquity and more precisely during the Bronze Age. I want to specialize in Levantine archaeology and the link between the island and the mainland is something that I wanted to explore in my research. The excavation at Kissonerga-Skalia was the perfect opportunity for me to learn more about it.

This site is located in the south-western part of the island and was occupied continuously from the beginning of the Early Bronze Age (c.2600) until the beginning of the Late Bronze Age (c.1600). It also has an earlier Chalcolithic occupation that is connected to the nearby site of Kissonerga-Mosfilia.

The excavation is focused on uncovering the industrial area of the site, where a number of features have already been identified, including an oven-like installation, probably used to produce beer! The installations were very diverse, as were the finds, that were a great sample to understand what Cyprus looked like during this period of history.

For the first time, I saw Cyprus as an independent and innovative island, and not as a region whose material culture is merely the product of continental influence. By observing the shapes of the pottery, artifacts, the architectural features and the organization of the settlements, I began slowly to understand the regional specificities.

On the site, I was assigned to articulate stones, a plaster surface and all the small finds that could be found in these areas, such as pottery, bones, stone tools, and two amazing beads that were my highlights of the season!

However, as all the archaeology students know, even if you are going on an excavation to learn about new methods and cultures, you discover and come back with much more than that. The people that you meet on this little journey shape you as a human being and a future archaeologist. I am so grateful for all the memories and life lessons that I am taking back to France, which are bringing me a bit closer to my dream career.

Suzanne Gilles is a 20-year-old graduate student in the Near Eastern Studies specialty in the School of the Louvre, Paris (France). She wants to specialize in Levantine archaeology during the Bronze Age.

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