” Αlmyras”. A rich locality for production of copper.
The ” Almyras” of Ayia Varvara was discovered in 1982 and represents the unique ancient unit of complete treatment for production of copper that has been found up to now in Cyprus. Between the years 1988 and 1998 twelve excavations have taken place. The “Almyras” is found in the valley of Sia, in a region with a history of four thousands years in the production of copper.
All the activities that have relation with the production of copper at “Almyras”, they are dated in the Cyprus-Archaic season in 600 BC, in the Cyprus-Classic around in 400 BC and in the Cyprus-Hellenistic period around in 150 BC and they have been revealed, a vein of mineral with remains of mine, two furnaces for the mineral as well as various types of fusion furnaces of copper. The light candles that have been found around the furnaces testify that they were working during the night. The written ceramics, the two earthen anthropomorphous figurines and the statuette of a ram from limestone, show that at this place certain events of adoration took place. Some researches were necessary to be done in order to understand the technology for the production of copper and to confirm its important role in the social-economic system of the ancient Cyprus.
