EARTHERITAGE aims at fostering the current state of the art about earthen architecture in the Mediterranean region through a two years programme finalised at the analysis, documentation and preservation strategies of the local earthen architectural heritage, focusing on the island of Cyprus. Cyprus has been selected as a case study because of the long-established tradition of earthen building, which endures on the island since early prehistory. Through an interdisciplinary and synergic dialogue between archaeological, geoarchaeological and architectural approaches, the purpose is to conduct multiscalar analyses on earthen architectural evidence in one of the prehistoric contexts of the island, Middle Bronze Age Erimi (c. 1950-1650 BC), which it has been selected as an exceptional case of good preservation of earthen structures. The main objectives are: to integrate this analysis with in-depth geomorphological and pedological examinations of the natural environment of the southern region of Cyprus and in particular of the Kouris river valley area, where the prehistoric settlement is located; to use the data-set resulting from archaeological and geoarchaeological analyses in order to conduct technical experimentation on implemented earthen products testing their performances; to propose activities for the valorisation of the archaeological context examined by this research programme, leveraging the identity of earthen architecture.

This project has received funding from Ministry of University and Research (MUR) – PRIN 2022