The Sia-Mathiatis-Agia Varvara Survey Project

Since 1982, the broader area around the site of ALMYRAS has been surveyed for ancient mining and smelting evidence. The recent archaeometallurgical survey of the Sia-Mathiatis-Agia Varvara region commenced 1995 with walking sessions on the fields around the modern mines of Sia and Mathiatis. A copper smelting site with two well preserved furnaces was discovered at the modern open cast mine of South Mathiatis, worked for gold in this century. Radiocarbon dating showed 2490 ± 50 y BP to be the date of the installation. The furnaces are of the same age as the ones of the earliest smelting activities at Agia Varvara-ALMYRAS.

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