CERAMIC NEOLITHIC

Analysis of Settlement in the A Ceramic Neolithic

(Khirokitian Culture)

Analysis of Settlement in the A Ceramic Neolithic

(Khirokitian Culture)

Introduction

Different people, societies and nations lived in different ways of life and these were improved over generations as they gained more experience based on their needs. In the beginning most of the people lived a very basic life i.e. the most crucial need of having shelters had to be constructed by themselves. Era after era their ways improved, their shelters, tools and techniques became more and more advanced as time passed. These enhanced them to make it more useful towards their own needs in later phase. One of these settlements happened in Cyprus between 7000- 5000 BC and called the ceramic Neolithic or more well-known as Khirokita culture. These improvements can easily be seen from the materials they extracted, shaped and used and the tools they were able to build so that they could have applied them in their everyday life's activities. This progress and completion has happened everywhere in the world from North to South, West to the East and Middle East, etc. Also, this has been observed that almost every society is more advanced than its predecessor, because they learn from the mistakes and experiences. This is obviously because of the subsequent nations take the advantage of the skills and information of their ancestors, used them. This improvement in the skills and techniques is visible in the buildings made by the Khirokitians.

Khirokitia is a site in Cyprus from Neolithic age which the settlement is on the side of the hill in the valley of the Maroni River. The history of it goes back to the seventh millennium BC and was discovered in 1934 by Dr Porphyrios Dikaios, also it was continued by others like Le Burn. Khirokitia is one of the most important sites in eastern Mediterranean. The village has included many houses which circular type is more common than rectangular with thick walls.

Part 1: The Situation of the Site

The site of Khirikitia was discovered by Dikaios in 1934. Although other settlements represent the Neolithic period but Khirokitia is by far the best representative for the purpose of investigating the art, social structure and architecture of Neolithic. Khirokitia is important because of it situation near the river. The source of this river is Mt. Kionia and flows in the rainy seasons to Khirokitia. Therefore, the river is important factor for people who wanted to live there because water was essential for agriculture and animal husbandry, because the Khirokitian villagers were farmer and agriculture was of their main activities. Barley, wheat and lentils were cultivated by them. Also they had herds of sheep, goats and pigs as well as domestic cats and dogs. There was fallow deer as well. Also, there was a main road through the site that made the access to the river easier which was the source not only to supply the water but other things like mud bricks and stone from the river ...