Maa-Palaikastro
Maa-Palaikastro is a fortified Bronze Age settlement on the west coast of Cyprus, built during a time of major upheaval in the ancient Mediterranean. Strategically positioned and strongly defended, it played an important role in early settlement, copper production, and trade, and is closely linked to the arrival of Greek-speaking populations on the island. What remains today tells the story of resilience, planning, and cultural change at a crucial moment in Cyprus’s history. A Rocky Peninsula with a Big Story Perched on a narrow rocky peninsula on the Coral Bay coast of western Cyprus, Maa-Palaikastro (often simply called Maa) may look quiet and unassuming today. Yet beneath its surface lies the story of one of the island’s most important early settlements, shaped by movement, survival, and cultural change at a turning point in Mediterranean history. Archaeological excavations revealed that this small site played a surprisingly large role in the story of Cyprus, linking the island to wider events unfolding across the ancient world. A New Community in an Uncertain World Maa-Palaikastro was founded around 1200 BCE, a time when the eastern Mediterranean was in turmoil. Powerful kingdoms were collapsing, trade routes were breaking down, and people were migrating in search of safety and opportunity. Against this backdrop, a group of settlers, likely connected to the Mycenaean Greek world, arrived on…
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